France May Have to Keep Coal-Power Plants for Security of Supply
- Energy transition will drive up electricity demand, RTE says
- Country needs massive renewable spending to meet climate goals
The coal powerplant of Cordemais in Lavau-sur-Loire, France.
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France may have to keep its last two coal-fired power plants on hand to ensure supply security, the nation’s grid operator said Wednesday.
While the country is heading into winter in a “much” improved situation than a year ago, growing demand during the energy transition will pressure supplies in future years, Reseau de Transport d’Electricite said in its 2023-2035 outlook. If nuclear output falls short, renewables don’t ramp up massively and efforts to manage consumption don’t improve, coal plants may have to be on standby.