Yes, France is the worst student of renewable energies

Will France be vindicated for its poor record in terms of renewable energies? This is what an environmentalist mayor is all about Grenoble France Inter on 26 November. “France will be penalized and fined 500 million euros because it is the only European country that has not kept its commitments. Renewable energies », threw Eric BiolEmmanuel Macron defends his record on ecology on YouTube.

Fake off

As Eric Piol points out, France is the worst student: it did not reach the renewable energy target of 23% of its total energy consumption in 2020, this share was then 19.1%. According to Eurostat, European Statistical Organization. All other Member States have met their targets set in 2009. Eurostat recalls that to meet these limits, some countries have appealed to their neighbors by buying renewable energy abroad.

The 500 million euros mentioned by the Mayor of Grenoble actually corresponds to this mechanism allowing energy transfers. This was explained by Agnes Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition. to delegates on November 21as He saw him liberation. “The fact that it has not reached its objectives for the development of renewable energies forces France to buy statistical megawatts worth 500 million euros this year; we are negotiating with Italy and Sweden on this matter,” the minister began.

“Binding” purposes

Agnes Pannier-Rannacher already mentioned The amount before senators in October, however, did not specify that it equated to the purchase of statistical megawatts, which may have caused confusion. “France is the only country in the European Union that has not met its national objective for renewable energy development, which will cost us 500 million euros this year,” he recalled.

If the text Adopted in 2009 By the European Parliament and the European Council it provides that these objectives are “binding”, it does not refer to “penalties”. However, if it fails to meet its renewable energy target with these MW purchases, the European Commission could impose financial penalties on France, the size of which is currently unknown. liberation.