Government launches public consultation on France's energy strategy

The final public consultation aims to gather final comments on the draft multi-annual energy programming (PPE), France's strategy for energy, "the final version of which will then be adopted by decree", the ministry said.

It constitutes the final step towards the finalisation of the third Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE), which sets targets for energy production and consumption for the period 2025-2035 to put France on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050.

The decree will be published at the beginning of April, following the consultation, according to Bercy.

The consultation launched at the end of 2024 with the stakeholders has already "led to several modifications to the project, including the addition of a chapter dedicated to monitoring electricity consumption and a chapter on the costs of the electricity system as a whole", underlines the ministry attached to Bercy.

It also led to "the addition of an industrial dimension and the development of actions envisaged to monitor and anticipate the impact on jobs and skills".

Several bodies were consulted, including the National Council for Ecological Transition (CNTE), the High Commissioner for Atomic Energy (HCEA) and the Higher Energy Council (CSE).

The latter issued an opinion on Thursday making "several substantial modifications" to the draft revision of the tariff order known as "S21", which determines the conditions for public authority support for small photovoltaics while the government wants to refocus its support on solar energy.

These changes aim to "avoid an abrupt halt to the deployment of solar roofs and photovoltaic canopies", according to the Renewable Energy Union and the union representing solar players, Enerplan.

The High Council for Climate has warned of the shortcomings of the text, while the Environmental Authority has called for a more ambitious policy to achieve European objectives.

The French Electricity Union (UFE) welcomed the recognition of the electrification of uses "as a central pillar of PPE3" which constitutes "a major step forward", according to it. The electrification of uses consists of replacing fossil fuels with electricity in transport, buildings and industries to decarbonize energy consumption.

The trajectory presented in PPE 3 plans to reduce the share of fossil fuels in final energy consumption in France from 58% in 2023 to 42% in 2030, then 30% in 2035. At the same time, electricity will increase from 27% to 34% then 39% and renewable energies excluding electricity (geothermal, biomass, etc.) from 15% to 23 then 30%.

An "electrification dashboard" will monitor changes in electricity consumption in relation to the defined trajectory, according to the document submitted for consultation. "It will in particular make it possible to prepare the adjustments to be made to the trajectories" on the occasion of the revision of PPE 3 in particular, by 2030.

The consultation is done online at the following address: https://www.consultations-publiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/consultation-du-public-sur-le-projet-de-troisieme-a3142.html.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.