Italy's government Tuesday approved the layout of a draft decree that sets the rules to pick the sites for the new nuclear plants as it aims to see a 2013 start in the construction of the first atomic facility after a ban of more than two decades.
The cabinet of the center-right government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi approved the draft decree after a meeting in Rome, it said on its Web site. It added that within the next three months it will provide the details. Subsequently, interested companies will be able to apply to build the facilities.
The government also voted to introduce incentives for the local population and municipalities of where possible future plants will be located as a way to reduce opposition. The incentives will be paid by the companies building the plants.
Italy banned nuclear energy in a 1987 referendum following the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine, then part of the former Soviet Union.
Earlier this year, parliament reintroduced nuclear power in the country, requiring the government to set the rules for possible locations and where to safely deposit the waste.
The cabinet's decree must now be approved by the country's regions and relevant parliamentary committees.
The government wants around 25% of Italy's electricity to be atomic in the future as it seeks ways to reduce high prices.
Enel SpA (ENEL.MI) has teamed up with Electricite de France SA (EDF.MI) to built reactors in Italy. E.ON AG (EAON.XE), Edison SpA (EDN.MI) and A2A SpA (A2A.MI) has expressed interest in Italy's nuclear renaissance.