Italy's parliament has given the green light to a nuclear energy law, a move Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described as a sensible choice, according to ANSA. The approval was reported on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
The legislation is known as the Pichetto law, a reference tied to the small modular reactors, or SMRs, that form part of its framework, according to la Repubblica. RaiNews reported on what the return to nuclear power means in practice and why, in its framing, plants no longer provoke the same level of concern.
Coverage across Italian outlets focused on the practical questions that follow the vote. Corriere della Sera examined where and when the first reactors might be built, and whether citizens will be consulted in the process. Sky TG24 looked at the current state of development for small modular reactors, the technology at the center of the law.
La Repubblica noted that any relief for household electricity bills would take time to materialize, suggesting the law's consumer benefits are not immediate.
The law marks a shift in Italy's energy policy direction, though the reporting available does not detail its specific provisions, timelines, or the exact vote counts behind its passage.
What to watch next: how the government translates the law into concrete siting decisions and whether a public consultation process is established for the first reactor projects.
