Paris dims the lights as blackouts threaten24 Oct 2022 10:30
“The City of Light’s twinkle has dimmed ahead of a perilous winter for the French economy. Paris is turning off the Eiffel Tower’s flashing light show one hour earlier than usual as the city scrambles to cut energy consumption. The mayor is also lowering the lighting at other public monuments at 10pm, and the thermostat is being turned down in public buildings and swimming pools.
As a chilly snap heralds the arrival of autumn in the capital, the mood among energy suppliers and politicians is one of deepening concern – and regret at the years wasted. Some believe this winter could be even more troubling for Paris than Berlin.
Xavier Barbaro, chief executive of France’s leading independent renewables producer Neoen, is concerned about the risk of shortages. “No one would have thought that a few years or even a few months ago,” he says. “Blackouts were something in the past ... we have heard for decades that nuclear was a chance for the country ... in the end, it might actually be a curse.”
France put all its eggs in the nuclear basket but technical problems are now frequently cutting capacity at its aged plants. While President Macron has ordered new reactors as part of a nuclear “renaissance”, decades of inaction has come back to haunt the country.
Macron’s government has staked its reputation on avoiding blackouts. However, industry bosses are less certain. “We’ve been told for ages that nuclear power is safe, secure and so constant,” says Adrien Jeantet, director of energy services at Enercoop, a French utility company using only renewables. Now we see it’s not dependable. We really need it now we have gas shortages and all of a sudden it’s not there. Half of the reactors are shut down.”
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