The French express themselves on the country’s energy future

The French government recently completed a national consultation on France's energy future. The results of the consultation reveal concerns about the energy transition and around nuclear issues.

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The French government received on Thursday the conclusions of a national consultation on the energy future of France, entitled “consultation on the energy mix”, which was held from October 2022 to February 2023. With twelve regional meetings and 31,000 contributions posted on a dedicated platform, this consultation was organized to gather citizens ‘ opinions on energy-related issues.

Demands for transparency, consultation and organization

The results of the consultation show that the participants were generally ready to make more individual efforts to reduce their consumption (heating, transport, etc.) while asking for a collective reflection on the meaning of work, food, tourism, etc. They expect the State, local authorities and companies to take action in regional planning, construction and renovation of buildings, reindustrialization, etc. Participants also issued clear messages on energy, calling for precise planning to move away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards forms of energy autonomy.

A debate on nuclear energy

Participants also called for more transparency on nuclear power and expressed concern about the financial sustainability and technical liability of this form of energy. The debate remains about the relationship between nuclear and renewable electricity: is it complementary or exclusive? By April, parliamentarians will have a summary of the public debate on EDF’s EPR projects.

Recommendations for France’s energy future

The results of the consultation will be submitted to the members of parliament, who will be responsible for voting on the energy and climate programming law in the coming months. The Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, hailed “a success in terms of participation” and emphasized the “real adhesion to the subject of sobriety”. She also noted the “need of the French to be stakeholders in public policies”. The government has committed to responding to the consultation in the coming weeks.

A government commitment to soliciting opinions

The government has followed the organizational recommendations of the Commission nationale du débat public (CNDP), the independent authority usually responsible for this type of project. The vice-president of the CNDP and guarantor of the debate, Ilaria Casillo, underlined the richness of the consultation, while noting that there could have been an additional effort on media coverage. The government spokesman and Minister of Democratic Renewal, Olivier Véran, emphasized the government’s willingness to solicit opinions to serve as guides and inspirations.

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