Roma – Trapped in a stark opposition between renewable sources and nuclear energy, Italy is among European countries with the highest foreign dependence for energy supply: about three-quarters of the total, compared to an EU average below 60%. And in a climate of permanent electoral campaign, the shift from Nimby ('Not in my back yard') to Nimto ('Not in my terms of office') becomes inevitable.
Un corteo di protesta in Sardegna contro le “speculazioni energetiche” (foto d’archivio)
If from the right, faced with committees opposing the installation of photovoltaic plants and intrusive wind turbines in their territory, the response is to bet everything on nuclear ('I prefer a nice nuclear plant to wind monsters' is one of the slogans repeatedly used by Matteo Salvini), the left rides people's fears by discrediting atomic energy ('I disagree with nuclear power, building a plant in a city would be madness' said the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala just yesterday), in favor of a mix (too) unbalanced towards renewables. Even though secretary Elly Schlein, just yesterday, used softer terms: 'On nuclear we do not have a prejudicial exclusion, indeed we have always supported research that we hope will go ahead and obtain results. We – she specified – have doubts about production costs and timing.' A purely political rift that, in fact, pushes away the goal, in the current geopolitical context more necessary than ever, of greater energy independence.
2025 marked a historic milestone for the growth of renewables in Europe: 30.1% of EU electricity (841 TWh/yr) was generated by wind and solar versus 809 TWh/yr from fossil fuels and 652 TWh/yr from nuclear. In the same year, Italian electricity demand (equal to 311.3 TWh) – satisfied for 84.9% with domestic production – was covered for 41% by renewable sources (photovoltaic 35.3%; wind 17%; biomass 10.5%; geothermal 4.3%).
Un operaio specializzato installa un panello fotovoltaico
In this scenario, in response to the European Commission's request to use a portion of the tax exemption provided for defense for energy investments and transition measures, but not to subsidize fossil fuels, the Italian government responds with a delegation law on sustainable nuclear energy and the announcement, made yesterday by the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, of the opening of the first new-generation plant in Italy in 2033-2034.
But what is the winning energy mix? 'Renewables alone are not enough: they are dispersed, low concentration and intermittent,' explains the founder and president of Nomisma Energia, Davide Tabarelli. 'And geothermal has low power. Out of 8760 hours, we have 1500 hours of sun per year, 2200 of wind. We need to guarantee stability and electricity when there is no sun, when there is no wind. We need nuclear because it is the only source that gives us stability, high energy intensity, programmability, without CO2 emissions. We are the country within the European Union and within the OECD that most depends on imports of oil and gas: it is as if we had three plants in France working for us for almost thirty years.'
The government's proposal – Tabarelli points out – 'is an attempt to move towards a new solution to overcome obstacles. They aim for these mass-produced SMRs, as if it were a Taylorization of nuclear production. But it is a long path, still to be defined.' Regarding waste – says the president of Nomisma – 'they think of using old waste from other plants, entering a circular economy approach, but these are innovative solutions that do not yet exist.'
