More than 160 Senators Call for a Revision of the French Multi-Year Energy Programme

More than 160 senators from the right and centre have urged François Bayrou to suspend the publication of the third Multi-Year Energy Programme (PPE 3), criticizing its lack of a comprehensive vision and calling for greater parliamentary involvement in defining the energy mix.

Share:

A group of over 160 senators, mainly from the Les Républicains and Union centriste parties, has sent a letter to Prime Minister François Bayrou, urging him to abandon the publication of the Multi-Year Energy Programme (PPE 3). These lawmakers believe that the project lacks clarity and does not address France’s energy challenges for the coming years. According to them, the future roadmap, which is currently being finalised, does not present a coherent and comprehensive vision of the country’s energy sector, making it difficult to adopt without a thorough revision.

Criticism of the PPE 3’s trajectory

The senators who signed the letter express their concerns regarding the content of PPE 3, which covers the period from 2025 to 2035. They deem the project insufficiently documented, particularly with regard to managing energy demand and supply. The proposal also lacks a detailed analysis of the overall economic impact of the energy policy choices. The signatories lament the absence of concrete measures and foresee that the current decisions could have uncertain consequences on the balance between different energy sectors, especially solar energy and renewables.

Call for greater parliamentary involvement

The senators also criticise the lack of consideration given to parliamentary work in the development of this programme. They remind that the Senate adopted a bill on the national energy programme and conducted an inquiry into electricity prices, but these efforts seem to have been ignored in the current version of the PPE. This lack of consultation, according to them, denies the national representation an opportunity to engage in a critical issue for the country’s future energy.

The objectives of PPE 3 and the public consultation

The government plans to adopt PPE 3 through a decree, with an anticipated publication by early April 2025, following a public consultation launched in late 2024. This consultation aimed to identify potential improvements to the project before its finalisation. However, the senators believe that the consultation did not significantly evolve the project. Once adopted, PPE 3 is expected to set goals for reducing fossil fuels in France’s energy consumption, lowering their share from 58% in 2023 to 42% in 2030 and 30% in 2035.

Revision needed according to lawmakers

The senators insist on the necessity of revisiting this roadmap to allow Parliament to decide on the direction for the country’s energy mix. They stress that the energy transition, a crucial issue for France’s future, should not be decided without an in-depth parliamentary debate. At present, the current programme appears poorly suited to such ambitious objectives, leaving the risk of a deadlock on certain technological transitions needed for carbon neutrality.

Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.