Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, reiterated his firm belief that nuclear energy must be included in the Italian energy mix. "We are the only major country that deliberately impotentiates itself by not doing it." But how much does traditional nuclear power really cost, and when will the new generation technology, which promises no waste and uses fusion instead of fission, be available? Swisscanto research provides an answer to the first question. The new calculation methodology approved by the EU Commission to compare the various energy sources (Valcoe, Value-adjusted levelised cost of energy) levels the production costs, from construction to generation and maintenance, while also accounting for grid stability benefits, and reserves some surprises. "The results are clear: renewable energies still have lower production costs," says Gerhard Wagner, Head of Sustainable Investment Equities at Swisscanto. In Europe, nuclear is less expensive than coal and nearly as cheap as gas, but it is more expensive than solar and wind. Valcoe estimates a cost of 140 dollars per Megawatt hour, compared to 165 for coal and 135 for gas. Renewables, on the other hand, cost between $60 and $65 per MWh. Nuclear costs are projected to decline to 120 dollars by 2030, compared to increases of 215 and 220 dollars for coal and gas, as well as an increase to 80 dollars for solar, while wind costs are projected to remain stable (60 dollars) and even decline offshore (45 dollars). "Even the market appears to confirm this evidence," Wagner continues, "in 2022, approximately 472 billion dollars were invested in renewable energy globally versus 50 billion in nuclear power."