French Energy Transition Minister has something she wants you to know about renewables

It’s something she thinks you should know… but suspects you probably don’t

There is a topic that vexes French Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

No, it’s not the one you think: the one about trying to get nuclear recognized by the EU as a strategic technology for climate neutrality – although that does indeed vex her too.

This one is about renewables. Specifically, the share of renewables in the French energy mix compared to the German energy mix.

Why? Because they are exactly the same… and it slightly irritates the minister that not enough people know this.

During an interview at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, Pannier-Runacher produces her phone to look up a chart to prove her point.

“We have exactly the same amount of renewables in our energy mix as Germany. Exactly the same.

“This is something that surprises people: they believe that we are only nuclear. No, we have renewable and nuclear – and we have less fossil fuels than Germany.

“This is the real difference – we have less than 1 per cent coal in our overall energy mix.”

She highlights that France and Germany have been on the same trajectory of installing renewables for a decade: both had 13 per cent in 2012 and both had 19 per cent in 202.

“It is exactly the same path. Just to make things clear,” she says with a nod. And a smile.

Pannier-Runacher says France is a strong advocate for renewables. “We are pushing like hell for renewables. I just finalized a law on accelerating renewables in France.”

The country is making strides with its offshore wind sector, in which EDF is a significant player.

“We need renewables. We need different actions. We need energy efficiency; we need to transform the behaviour and prevent the waste of energy by changing our habits. Switching off lights and heating. This is what we call sobriety in France.”

And she says, as you would expect, that we need nuclear.

“The CO2 emissions from nuclear are not only less significant by far than fossil fuels: they are even less significant than solar power and wind power. That’s just fact.

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“And my approach is to say that we need every lever. We cannot afford to say that we will not pull this particular lever.

“We need nuclear – especially when you already have a nuclear basis. Because it is an asset and it is an asset for all countries.

She says that earlier this week she had “a breakfast meeting with 13 countries that are interested in nuclear. Some are champions of renewables, but they also have nuclear and they want to invest in nuclear.

“Maybe to prolong the lifetime of their reactors; maybe to build new reactors; maybe to build SMRs. But they believe they are an asset. And we have 14 countries in Europe that believe that: that’s more than half the Member States.”

Pannier-Runacher says she can “understand that if you don’t have a nuclear basis, it is perhaps not the best way to address the question of decarbonization: you’d be better investing in what you already have in the country.

“But when you already have the competencies, the technologies, the companies and the production, it would be crazy to say, ‘it doesn’t emit CO2 but I will close it anyway’.

“The fight against climate change is too serious to make politics of it.”

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