A Senate committee denounces the government's lack of anticipation on energy

She recalls that this surge in prices was not anticipated by the Government. Asked by the commission on the need to "revalue the energy check" during the Covid-19 crisis, in April 2020, the former minister in charge of energy estimated: "the bills will not increase significantly".

The committee also recalls that a rebalancing of our mix in favor of nuclear energy was not always desired by the Government. As part of the review of the “Climate and Resilience” law of August 21, 2021, the framework for reactor closures introduced by the commission - and ultimately retained in the final text - had been described as “neither done nor to be done ”by the current Minister in charge of energy.

The committee notes today that the Government's reversals on these two subjects give it, well and too late, reason.

She regrets the incompleteness of the announcements made by the Prime Minister in the face of soaring prices:

• The allocation of 100 euros via the "energy check" or the "inflation allowance" is limited, in view of the multiplication by 2 of the market price of gas, by 3 of that of oil and by 9 of that of oil. electricity, between spring 2020 and autumn 2021;
• The blockages or price compensation envisaged focus on the regulated tariffs for the sale of gas (TRVG) and electricity (TRVE): these tariffs concern only one third of households heating with gas and only two thirds of those using gas. electrically heated, with the TRVG also set to shut down in 2023;
• The 4 million households, often rural and sometimes precarious, still heating themselves with fuel oil are largely ignored, this fuel having nevertheless exceeded the bar of 1.000 euros for 1.000 liters;
• Companies, including industries that consume a lot of energy in the metallurgy, chemical, paper and cement sectors in particular, are completely omitted, even though they are faced with serious and immediate risks for their competitiveness and their viability.

More broadly, the committee believes that we cannot be satisfied with an energy policy based on sight, because any ambiguity, any insufficiency in our production choices always ends up being paid, in winter, on the energy bill and our security of supply.

We therefore need more anticipation, consistency and rigor in the conduct of our energy policy, inexpensive and low-emission energy constituting a condition for the revival of our economy, but also for its decarbonisation.

To contribute to this, the committee decided to carry out several control works:

• a cycle of hearings on energy sovereignty, during which she receives an economist, on the surge in energy prices, the National Energy Mediator, on the impact of this surge on consumers, the CEO of EDF and its executive director in charge new nuclear, on the nuclear sector, the managing director of the ITER project, on nuclear research, and the chairman of the RTE management board, on the “100% renewable” scenario;
• a report on the impact of the price hike on households and companies within the framework of the examination of the “Energy” credits of the finance bill for 2022;
• an information report on the development prospects of the sector French nuclear energy and hydrogen.

Its transpartisan working group on electricity market reforms, in charge of monitoring European negotiations on the reform of regulated access to historic nuclear energy (Arenh), the “Hercules” reorganization project - now “ Grand EDF ”- and the future of hydroelectric concessions will also continue its work.