Power cuts could well become a reality. The unprecedented energy crisis that France is currently going through could have unprecedented consequences this winter.
“If it’s really cold this winter and EDF is late in reopening the nuclear reactors, we will go into exceptional measures”, warned Emmanuelle Wargon, president of the Energy Regulatory Commission, at the microphone. from FranceInfo on Monday, September 19.
If she assured that there would be “never a gas cut in individuals”, she was however more alarmist about electricity. “We can arrive in the most difficult cases at targeted cuts, for a few hours, located on a relatively small scale, a municipality or a district, and having warned beforehand”, she thus alarmed.
The former Minister of Energy nevertheless specified that this is a “case which should not normally occur”. This will partly depend on the weather. Thus, “if the winter is moderate or mild, it will go well overall”, she assured while warning, that on the other hand, “if the winter is cold, it will happen in a more tense way” .
Emmanuelle Wargon clarified that, if power cuts are necessary, they will not be random and certain areas will be preserved. “Typically, if there is a hospital in an area, the electricity will not be cut off,” she explained.
If the weather cannot be controlled, the president of the Energy Regulation Commission, on the other hand, insisted on the fact that the French had “a single lever”, sobriety. According to her, there are several gestures that can make a difference. “For example, running the machines at night when you can, paying attention to the way you cook by putting a lid on the pan, for example, trying to start your heating at times that are a little off from peak times” , she said.
The politician also said that a consultation would be launched “during the week” with the aim of “reviewing the electricity prices during peak and off-peak hours”, so that they are “more attractive for the French.
