The Nuclear Energy Debate and Emissions Reduction: The Italian Case

Abstract

This chapter will first describe the Italian situation with respect to energy consumption. Italy, like most industrialized countries, consumes a lot of energy and, not differently from most countries, is experiencing difficulty complying with the targets agreed in the Kyoto Protocol. A vociferous Green Party (I Verdi) has been active in Italy for almost 25 years, but until recently Italy, compared to other Western countries, had not developed many effective initiatives to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas. Italy almost completely lacks oil, gas and coal. Moreover, some 20 years ago Italy decided to close the existing nuclear plants. Therefore, the cost of electricity is much higher than in other industrialized countries. Thanks to the fall of Prodi’s leftist government in spring 2008 and to the disappearance from Parliament of the extreme left and Green parties, the new centre-right Berlusconi government was able to express its willingness to build new nuclear plants. One of the issues now debated is if ‘going nuclear’ is not just a cheaper way to produce energy, but also the only realistic option to reduce emissions of CO₂ without endangering economic development.