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Country report
Jan 2017
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2016 Review
…that are critical to the success of the energy transition. For example, planned growth of the share of electric vehicles and variable renewable electricity will require enhanced power system operation and flexibility, including demand-side response, smart grids and metering, and more interconnections. The financing of this transition depends upon continued carbon price signals, increasingly open markets, competition, and consumer empowerment in gas and electricity retail markets. This review analyses the energy policy challenges facing France and provides recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide the country towards a more secure, sustainable and affordable energy future…
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Country report
Jan 2021
Conditions and requirements for the technical feasibility of a power system with a high share of renewables in France towards 2050
…relies largely on energy efficiency, systematic use of biomass and greater use of electricity.France already enjoys extremely low-carbon electricity, owing largely to its nuclear generation fleet built in the 1980s and the 1990s. The operating life of these nuclear generators is assumed so far to be 60 years, so by 2050 most will have been decommissioned. To keep emissions in the power sector to a minimum, two options are thus on the table: replacing retiring reactors with new ones and renewables or replacing them with renewables only to eventually reach a power system with 100% renewable energy sources…
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Country report
Jan 2013
Oil and Gas Emergency Policy: France 2012
In 2007, the IEA published Oil Supply Security: Emergency Response of IEA Countries. This report provided an overview of the IEA oil emergency response system and a detailed look at the specific systems in each IEA country for responding to an oil supply crisis. It presented the findings of a five-year review cycle of the emergency response mechanisms in IEA member countries. Since the 2007 publication, the IEA has started a new cycle of reviews which now includes reviewing gas emergency policies. Rather than waiting for the completion of the current review cycle to renew this publication, the IEA…
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Fuel report
Nov 2020
Renewables 2020
…transport sectors. Executive summary Renewables’ resilience is driven by the electricity sector In sharp contrast to all other fuels, renewables used for generating electricity will grow by almost 7% in 2020. Global energy demand is set to decline 5% – but long-term contracts, priority access to the grid and continuous installation of new plants are all underpinning strong growth in renewable electricity. This more than compensates for declines in bioenergy for industry and biofuels for transport – mostly the result of lower economic activity. The net result is an overall increase of 1% in renewable energy demand in 2020. Despite looming…
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Country report
Nov 2021
France 2021
…carbon dioxide emissions compared with similar economies, owing to the significant share of nuclear energy. However, the country’s nuclear fleet is ageing, and overall emissions are rising because energy consumption across the economy as a whole remains dominated by fossil fuels, notably in transport. Maintaining low-carbon power generation as a base for further decarbonisation and electrification requires timely decisions on the future electricity mix and accelerated investments. France’s economic recovery plan from the Covid-19 crisis and its 2030 investment plan will help accelerate its energy transition by driving progress in sustainable mobility, building retrofits and hydrogen…
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Country report
Jul 2010
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2009 Review
…buildings sectors increased from 1990 to 2008. Effective implementation of the announced policies and measures will be imperative for meeting France’s international and national commitments. In the electricity sector, the co-existence of regulated tariffs and market prices may impede mobilising the investment needed for maintenance and life extensions of nuclear power plants. The country also needs to boost the flexibility of electricity networks in order to achieve a structural balance between base load generation and increasing demand for peak-load.
This review analyses the energy challenges facing France and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. -
Country report
Nov 2000
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2000
…way towards instituting regulatory reform to comply with the EU directives on electricity and gas. This reform will have a major influence on the traditional utilities Électricité de France (EDF) and Gaz de France (GDF) that dominate the markets. Introducing competition while meeting public service concerns is a challenge for the French government. For example, full geographical uniformity of tariffs – a public service obligation – creates market distortions by reducing niche markets for renewables. Meeting the Kyoto target is also a challenge for France, since the share of nuclear energy in its power generation is expected to decline in the future.
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Country report
Jul 2004
Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2004
Energy Policy Review Energy Policies of IEA Countries: France 2004 The International Energy Agency's comprehensive review of France's energy policies and programmes for 2004. It finds that French energy policy – traditionally characterised by centralisation and strong government involvement – has been largely successful in achieving energy security, environmental protection and economic efficiency. The country must now adapt to a changing European energy context in which competition and an increased international scope will play important roles. Note : Les “Conclusions et recommandations-Synthèse” (9 pages) sont en français dans la publication.
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Article
30 Jun 2022
France Natural Gas Security Policy
Country Energy Security Policy - Natural Gas Natural gas overview France’s natural gas emergency response policy reflects its position as a gas importer. To ensure the availability of sufficient supply and reduce the gas system’s vulnerability in case of a crisis, public service obligations are assigned to the transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO), operators of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, underground storage operators and gas suppliers. Due to the high share of gas consumption for heating, French gas demand is highly weather correlated, with average daily consumption that can be more than four times higher…
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Article
30 Jun 2022
France Electricity Security Policy
Country Energy Security Policy - Electricity Electricity overview and generation portfolio France’s electricity market has the highest share of nuclear generation (67% in 2020) amongst the IEA countries, which combined with large hydropower and renewables outputs, results in 80% of the country’s electricity production being carbon-free. However, planned decommissioning of ageing nuclear plants and government targets to reduce the share of nuclear generation to 50% before 2035, and the need to replace these capacities with variable renewables, poses a challenge to the country’s electricity supply security. Additional efforts are especially needed by 2025 to assure system adequacy…