Relancer l’État atomique. Industrie, territoire et société en conflit autour du programme nucléaire italien (1975-1985)

This chapter examines the conflicts that accompanied the building of the Trino 2 nuclear power plant in the Piedmont region between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s. It focuses in particular on the relationship between the Italian government, the public utility company ENEL (Ente nazionale per l’energia elettrica) in charge of building the plant, the region, the municipalities involved in the project, and the local population, organized around different associations and interest groups. The chapter focuses in particular on the forms of opposition carried out by farmers in an area devoted to rice and wine growing. During the 1970s, rice and wine growers emerged as a particularly important social and economic category, capable of influencing political decisions at a local and regional level. They promoted a vision of the territory that revolved around a high-quality agricultural production intended for export, especially in the European market. For them, the expansion of nuclear policies represented a dangerous threat. By establishing alliances with political parties and social movements and organizing demonstrations, rice and wine growers were able to slow down the plan to build the Trino 2 nuclear power plant.