French Hydropower Reserves Fall for a Second Week, RTE Grid Says

Hydroelectric reserves in France fell for a second week, reducing supplies of water to generate electricity in Europe’s second-biggest power market.

Water reservoirs for electricity production slid 5 percentage points to 63 percent full at the start of this week, according to data on the website of Reseau de Transport d’Electricite, a unit of Electricite de France SA.

Reserves are 1 percentage points higher than last year and 10 points lower than in 2008. France gets about 20 percent of its power capacity from running water through turbines. Utilities can retain water for use when demand and prices are higher.

RTE compiles data from generators EDF, GDF Suez SA and Societe Nationale d’Electricite & de Thermique. The three companies produce more than 90 percent of French electricity.

To contact the reporters on this story: Lars Paulsson in London at lpaulsson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephen Voss at sev@bloomberg.net