New French president Francois Hollande was elected partially on a promise to reduce the share of nuclear energy in the mix to about 50% by 2025. France expects a debate on “energy transition”. EDF chief Henri Proglio has recently spoken to the French National Assembly. In his speech, Proglio described the future challenges faced by the electricity sector and how EDF is responding.
No matter which way French energy policy goes, state-controlled EDF will be the main tool for implementation. EDF owns 58 nuclear reactors that provide about 75% of electricity in France. If president Hollande decides to shut down some reactors early, EDF will have to cover not only the costs of reactor shutdowns, but it will also have to pay to build replacement generation.
This all would be reflected in bills of households and companies. Domestic electricity prices in France are now 35% lower than the European average, while the country's per capita carbon dioxide emissions from all energy use are one third lower than Germany's.
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