In France, 2023 was an electric year as expected, with the green industry law, large investments in battery and semiconductor plants and the rebound in electricity production. France again became a net exporter of electricity, even beating its previous daily record of February 2018 on 22 December 2023.
2022 was special: the maintenance of a large number of plants led to nuclear-generated electricity production at its lowest level since 1988 and production below consumption, forcing France to import electricity for the first time.
2022 was historical, if it turns out that the decrease in electricity consumption observed from autumn 2022 onwards is structural, a decrease by an average of 6% in the period from September 2022 to October 2023 compared to the average observed over 2018-2021. And since, over the same periods, solar production increased by 74% and wind energy by 42%, while nuclear power rebounded in 2023, France regained its autonomy.
These are all good points that sound like an encouragement in view of the challenges that France will have to face by 2050.
