The CEOs of three French energy companies are urging the French to “immediately” limit and reduce their consumption of fuel, oil, gas and electricity in a joint opinion published in Le Journal du dimanche.
TotalEnergiesin Patrick Pouyanne, EDF: n Jean-Bernard Levy and engine Catherine MacGregor warn of the consequences of rising prices and possible shortages in the coming winter and encourage “every one of us – every consumer, every business – to be aware and to take collective and individual action to change their behavior and immediately limit the consumption of energy, electricity, gas and petroleum products”.
In addition to the gas supply difficulties associated with Russia’s war in Ukraine, there are “tensions” in Europe’s electricity generation capacity and hydraulic power generation has been “amputated” due to exceptional drought, the authors characterize.
Weather conditions have led to the downsizing of at least one nuclear power plant in France this year. Many of France’s nuclear power plants are now also in trouble due to unexpected corrosion problems.
France is the European Union’s largest producer of nuclear power. In 2020, it generated a total of about 52% of the nuclear power produced in the EU.
“The sharp rise in energy prices resulting from these difficulties threatens our social and political cohesion and has too strong an impact on the purchasing power of households,” the article underlines.
“The best energy is still the one we don’t consume.”
The authors also call for a new energy efficiency program and no intervention in “national waste”. France is aiming for 100% energy storage by early autumn.
“As responsible players in the industry, our three companies are committed to active cooperation,” promise the CEOs of the companies, who have previously expressed competing views, especially on energy transition.