Concerns over power cut risks during winter are keeping the French government on high alert, with President Emmanuel Macron and other ministers hitting back at critics for their “clumsy” and “fearmongering” remarks, insisting the country “will hold out”.
The government has stepped up its communications plans in the past weeks over the risks of sudden electricity cuts this winter if demand is too high. EURACTIV France was the first to report on this issue back in July.
According to a letter addressed to all competent authorities by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and seen by EURACTIV France, government services have been prompted to prepare local emergency plans.
Power cuts will be limited to specific locations and last no longer than two hours at a time, with a three-day notice, the letter writes.
Vulnerable groups and high-risk institutions, such as hospitals and A&E services, should not be affected, though schools may have to shut down for hours at a time, Education Minister Pap Ndiaye confirmed on Tuesday.
‘Energy irresponsibility’
But opposition on how the government says it will manage energy distribution over the winter has grown stronger.
“Citizens are paying the price of the government’s unpreparedness,” communist MP Sébastien Jumel told the National Assembly on Tuesday, accusing the government of “energy irresponsibility”.
On the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit on Tuesday, Macron also attempted to quell the outrage, asking public authorities and political leaders “not to govern by fear”.
He called on the government and energy operators to “do their job” and said he relied on citizens to take measures to reduce their personal energy consumption.
“We have a great energy model. We will make it through this winter despite the war,” he said.
Borne also aimed at critics, denying accusations of unpreparedness.
She said hospitals would not face any power shortage, blaming nay-sayers for their “clumsy remarks”. She also clarified that the government was to “examine all scenarios, however improbable” to best prevent cuts.
“The government is making it bigger than it actually is to take all the credit if the country goes through the winter without any power cuts”, an influential opposition lawmaker told EURACTIV on condition of anonymity.
Borne made it a target earlier this year to cut energy consumption by companies and individuals by 10%.
Her Energy Minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, told lawmakers on Tuesday that energy usage was already down 7% across the board, even accounting for cooler temperatures.
She also insisted that France had been quick in filling up “gas storage facilities to the maximum” and had advocated in favour of European solidarity from the very beginning of the crisis – particularly with Germany.
Which countries are at risk
Facing power cuts this winter has been the worst-case scenario for EU policymakers, who have insisted on mandatory energy savings for both the industry and households since the beginning of the energy crisis.
According to a report published this week by ENTSO-E, the European association for the cooperation of transmission system operators for electricity, some EU countries risk facing electricity supply difficulties this winter.
“The report shows higher adequacy risk compared to previous winters. The main system stress is identified in Ireland, France, Southern Sweden, Finland, Malta and Cyprus systems,” the report reads.
ENTSO-E says although the electricity system remains highly dependent on gas, “favourable weather conditions may relieve this reliance on the power system”.
“There are some additional risks identified for the winter that could materialise and have a substantial impact on the adequacy situation, especially if they coincide. Close follow-up is needed on the uncertainties around nuclear availability in France, Sweden and Finland, as well as coal supply in Germany and Poland”.
(Davide Basso, Théo Bourgery-Gonse | EURACTIV.fr – Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos)
Source: euractiv.com
