According to Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the nuclear power measure is anticipated to be approved by the Senate by mid-September, and the government is anticipated to issue implementing decrees by the end of the year. The minister stressed the importance of complementing renewables—hydroelectric, geothermal, photovoltaic, and wind—with sophisticated third-generation nuclear power, or fourth-generation nuclear power when accessible, and defined energy as the future divider between rich and poor in terms of quantity and cost. The enabling measure intends to lift Italy's historic ban on nuclear power, which was imposed by referendums in 1987 and 2011, paving the path for new technologies such as SMRs (Small Modular Reactors). The measure is part of the national energy plan, which seeks to diversify supplies and reduce reliance on foreign imports. However, there is still a strong dispute between supporters of nuclear power, who see it as a decarbonization ally, and critical environmentalists, who are concerned about timescales, prices, and waste management.