Emmanuel Macron has convened a meeting with his nuclear policy advisors to keep up with the pace of the accelerated revival of the industry, coming one year after the French head of state announced the need for a new direction regarding atomic power in the face of energy and climate crises.
France's nuclear policy council met with Macron this Friday morning at the Elysée Palace, along with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, several ministers and representatives of the Nuclear Safety Authority and the Atomic Energy Commission.
On 10 February 2022 in the eastern French city of Belfort, Macron – then campaigning for his re-election – had outlined an energy policy that signalled a change of direction on civil nuclear power, promising a vast recovery plan, in tandem with the development of renewable energy and the optimisation of energy consumption.
Since then, the adoption of a bill to develop renewable energies is well underway in the French National Assembly, and the Senate has voted-in a text to accelerate and simplify the construction of new reactors.
This Friday's meeting is seen as a stepping stone towards meeting the promised timetable for the construction of six new reactors, smaller SMR-type reactors and the extension of existing reactors' lifespan from 40 to 60 years.
🇫🇷 #France: Senate Passes ‘Nuclear Bureaucracy’ Bill As Country Gears Up For Nuclear Renaissance. #nucleaire #NuclearEnergy #NuclearPower
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Legislation includes major R&D push with SMRs, Generation IV and clean hydrogenhttps://t.co/ryCEOjZPFP
Tomorrow's energy under scrutiny today
A presidential adviser has spoken of the challenge to "mobilise all the players" in the energy sector to ensure that deadlines are met – and this represents a major obstacle to be overcome.
2023 is a crucial year for the future of France's energy production, as the country must pass legislation on the share of each energy source – particularly nuclear – in order to move away from fossil fuels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Some opposition deputies have taken exception to Macron's meeting with the advisory council, before the current public debate on the future of France's energy supply has been concluded and before Parliament debates the future legislation on energy and climate, expected in the summer.
In a statement, Socialist MPs protested that, "The president of the Republic is trampling on the parliamentary debate [and] it is up to parliament to determine France's future energy mix."
The Elysée Palace retorted, "We can't say that on the one hand there is a climate emergency and on the other hand, postpone again and again the decisions" especially with the energy crisis amplified by the war in Ukraine, assuring however that Macron would respect the parliament's decisions.
The president's office also highlighted the magnitude and historic nature of the construction of new reactors, which is expected to cost over €60 billion.
However, the key question of financing – which has yet to be decided – was not on the agenda this Friday.
