French Renewables Lobby Wants More Offshore Wind Power in Policy Review
that 40 percent of the country's electricity production should come from renewables by 2030, while the share of nuclear in power production should fall from the current 75 percent to 50 percent. But the government has made no actual move towards closing any nuclear plants and Energy Minister Segolene Royal has said she is not ready to submit a multi-year investment plan for the nuclear industry, which is operated by state-controlled EDF. Critics say that adding renewables capacity while maintaining nuclear output at current levels will only swell the already large overcapacity in French
France to Launch Third Offshore Wind Tender
France plans to launch a tender to build turbines for the country's third offshore wind farm, Energy Minister Segolene Royal said in a statement on Monday. The wind farm is to be off the northern harbour town of Dunkerque, Royal said without specifying the size of the tender nor when bidding would close. France, unlike Britain, Germany and Denmark, does not yet have any offshore wind turbines installed. But it has already awarded two other tenders for offshore wind farms. Royal said the new tender would include a new procedure of "competitive dialogue" with the
French Minister Proposes Semi-public Firms Run Hydropower Plants
French Energy Minister Segolene Royal suggested creating semi-public companies to run hydropower stations after a former minister criticized a plan to open up the sector to competition, under pressure from the European Union. Many utilities and big electricity consumers have expressed an interest in France's hydroelectric sector, which is dominated by former state monopoly EDF, given that the cost of building dams has mostly been recouped. Delphine Batho, a former energy minister who was dismissed by President Francois Hollande last July, criticised on Monday what she said was a secret plan to
France to Open Up Hydropower Sector
website. "I opposed that as a minister, I'll oppose that as an MP," she wrote, highlighting the difficulties Prime Minister Manuel Valls may face in appeasing rebel Socialist lawmakers who are voting on the spending plan on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the current energy minister, Segolene Royal, did not immediately return a request for comment. France's audit court urged the government last September to pursue a much delayed plan to open part of its hydropower sector to competition in order to provide a source of state revenue. While bidding for the rights to operate capacity
February 2024
