In France, explained what caused the national energy crisis

PARIS, Sep 19 – PRIME. France’s energy crisis is caused more by insufficient nuclear production than by gas shortages, but it’s “the sum of two” factors, Emmanuelle Vargon, president of the French Regulatory Authority for Energy (CRE), said on Monday.

“Even with the tight gas situation, if we were producing nuclear power, as we did last year or the year before, prices would be lower because we would be more autonomous in terms of electricity and we would not have to import him,” she told France Info.

According to Vargon, the energy crisis in France is caused not only by a shortage of gas in Europe against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine, but also by a 25% decrease in nuclear energy production by the largest energy company in the country, Electricite de France (EDF).

She said that the reason for the increase in energy prices and its possible shortage this winter was the “sum of two” of these factors, but if one of them was not, the country “would not be facing an energy crisis.”

At the same time, Vargon noted that in order to meet the country’s needs for electricity, France must also use renewable energy sources, it is imperative to develop nuclear energy.

“We don’t only need nuclear power, we also need renewable energy. When we look at our electricity needs, we definitely (understand) that we must support nuclear power and develop it,” she said.

This summer, the French government launched an “energy sobriety” program with the goal of reducing electricity consumption by 10% to avoid shortages in the coming winter. The government called on businesses and transport companies to submit specific plans to reduce energy consumption. Some French companies, including two major glassmakers Duralex and Arc, said they had already reduced production volumes and transferred a number of employees to part-time work. Also, due to increased energy bills in the metropolis, about 30 swimming pools have stopped working, including the Pailleron, the largest sports complex in Paris.