The National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee adopted a controversial article of the nuclear acceleration bill on Thursday. This article removes the objective of reducing the share of nuclearenergy in the French electricity mix to 50% by 2035. This measure had been introduced in 2015 under the presidency of François Hollande.
A decision favorable to the nuclear industry
This decision is a victory for the nuclear industry, which will benefit from a strong signal to be able to be relaunched. According to the deputy Maud Brégeon (Renaissance, presidential majority), rapporteur of the text, the bill will allow to reach carbon neutrality and a better energy sovereignty. The government wants to encourage the construction of new nuclear reactors by simplifying administrative procedures.
Political challenges
The environmentalists deplored the fact that this technical text has become “programmatic” since it removes the existing 50% cap on nuclear energy as well as the 63.2 gigawatt cap on total authorized nuclear generation capacity. Opponents also criticize the government for legislating in disorder, choosing to debate this other technical text before setting targets for each energy in a more political programming bill.
A contested calendar
The government has chosen not to oppose the removal of these caps. France, which gets about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, had decided in 2015 to close 14 of its 58 reactors, before a reversal announced by President Emmanuel Macron in favor of a revival. After a text to accelerate renewable energies, adopted in January by the Parliament, the government has chosen to debate this other technical text before setting targets for each energy, in a more political programming bill, expected at best in June. This timetable is contested by the oppositions.
