Energy prices are soaring in France, driven in particular by the war in Ukraine and the shutdown of many EDF nuclear reactors due to technical problems. To deal with the rise in prices, the government has decided to organize a Defense Council devoted to the supply of gas and electricity to France, this Friday. But what announcements followed this meeting? What avenues have been mentioned for spending the winter? 20 minutes takes stock for you.
Energy sobriety
To deal with the energy crisis, the government is counting above all on energy sobriety. “The Prime Minister launched an energy sobriety plan last June, the objective of which is to reduce our energy consumption by 10%”, declared the Minister for Energy Transition, at the end of the meeting devoted to this subject. .
The executive wants to emphasize “chosen sobriety rather than the cuts suffered”, adds Agnès Pannier-Runacher. This sobriety will not be binding and the Minister assures us that it is a “waste hunt” and not a “drop in production”. The binding measures will only intervene in “case of difficulties which would not be anticipated”.
Nuclear reactors on hiatus re-ignited for winter
“Thirty-two reactors are shut down, some for stress corrosion and others for routine maintenance. EDF is committed to restarting all the reactors for this winter,” announced the Minister for Energy Transition. She adds that the government is monitoring the situation with weekly updates and is “particularly vigilant that this schedule is kept”.
European solidarity
The government is also turning to our European neighbours. In the event of an energy problem, he intends to rely on European solidarity. “The Council more particularly examined relations with Germany and Spain, because you know that we have significant exchanges of gas and electricity with these two countries, and we have concluded that this reciprocal solidarity should be reinforced this winter,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
Prevention already in place
However, the government wants to be reassuring. According to him, many encouraging measures are already in place. France’s gas stocks are 92% full, assures Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who gave a report from the Defense Council this Friday afternoon. “We are now almost at the target two months in advance and our European neighbors are also well advanced,” she announced, adding that Paris “has activated all the levers to [sa] hand to prepare for winter.
For the future, the executive intends to make regular updates from the beginning of October. It is therefore not excluded that a new Energy Defense Council will meet next month. The government also promises to continue to amortize “part of the increase in the price of electricity” and this, even after the end of the “tariff shield”.