Opinion polls in Italy suggest that despite voting to phase out commercial nuclear power following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, support is growing for the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies including small modular reactors.

According to a poll by research and consultancy company SWG, 56% of respondents said the use of advanced nuclear technologies or SMRs should not be ruled out once they are tested and ready. Only 33% said they would consider nuclear energy using available large-scale reactor technologies. Sixty percent of respondents admitted being poorly informed or not knowledgeable about nuclear energy.

The poll was carried out for Nucleare e Ragione, a non-profit association of nuclear professionals and researchers, and two educational webpages, L’Avvocato dell’Atomo and La Fisica che non ti aspetti, both of which promote a neutral, science-based approach to nuclear power.