Iran conflict drives EU to invest in next‑generation nuclear power

Brussels – Since the start of the war in Iran, the cost of oil and gas for the European Union has “risen by 22 billion euros, not a single molecule of energy in addition.” A cost that is too high, according to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is determined to tackle this rising bill by reviving next-generation nuclear power. “The benefits of small modular reactors are clear,” she stated at the end of the meeting of the College of Commissioners held to assess the impact of the US-Israeli conflict in Iran. “These are promising technologies, in which the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and South Korea are already investing, and we must not fall behind,” she insists. 

The crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “is the second fossil fuel crisis in just a few years,” von der Leyen said, convinced that current events must be used to end the EU’s systemic vulnerabilities. “We are paying a very high price for our overdependency on fossil fuels,” and the only way to break free once and for all is “to increase the production of reliable energy, through renewables and nuclear power“, options that “give us independence and predictability.”

 https://www.eunews.it/en/2025/04/02/eu-commission-advancing-with-next-generation-nuclear-power/

In this regard, the President of the European Commission announced a proposal for the electrification of Europe “before the summer.” The document, for which she gives no preview of the contents or nature, will set out the path to enable this energy transition within the EU. The need to press ahead with the sustainable transition – and thus with the production of clean energy – remains unchanged. Von der Leyen emphasizes that small modular reactors must be conceived as “in combination with renewables,” and therefore investment in next-generation nuclear power must not come at the expense of solar photovoltaics, wind power, hydroelectricity, or to the detriment of hydrogen or biomass.

 Meanwhile, the call to Member States is to “make the best use of the funds we have available, such as those from cohesion,” with the aim of making the European Union’s regions more resilient to energy disruptions. “Batteries and grid integration” are the objectives to be supported financially through the European Structural Funds, von der Leyen suggests.

Before that, however, the European Commission intends to take action to try to reduce electricity bills for businesses and households through tax measures. “In May, we will present a legislative proposal on electricity taxes,” von der Leyen announced. The war in Iran and its impact on energy costs are therefore driving the European energy agenda.