Power cuts this winter: Emmanuel Macron castigates “the scenarios of fear”

Lack of availability of nuclear power plants, low capacity of hydroelectric dams due to drought… This winter, many elements point to tensions on the French electricity network.

According to the latest forecasts from the manager, RTE, the risk would be “high” for the month of January 2023. At issue? The slow restart of the shutdown EDF nuclear reactors and, possibly, cold weather conducive to an increase in energy consumption

To avoid a general and uncontrolled blackout, the government as well as the various actors concerned are multiplying the scenarios. An energy sobriety plan, unveiled last October, invites companies and individuals to make efforts to reduce electricity consumption this winter. Here are the 15 key measures:

This last measure, which therefore concerns the EcoWatt platform, also aims to warn citizens of any power cuts scheduled for this winter. These power outages, localized and lasting a maximum of two hours, will occur in the event of excessive voltage on the electrical network. If, and only if, the energy situation requires it.

Power cuts that leave many questions unanswered: how to contact the emergency services in the event of a network outage? How to adapt your driving without traffic lights? Who gets priority and who doesn’t?

In the political sphere, the opposition denounces chaotic communication on the part of the executive, report our colleagues from Parisian. This is particularly the case of Sébastien Jumel, a communist deputy, who deplores “infantilizing” and “guilt-inducing” information. According to the politician, the government is “solely responsible for the energy situation” in which France finds itself.

Same story on the side of Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally group in the Assembly. The latter denounces “an extraordinary regression of our country”, in particular following the announcements according to which patients on artificial respirators will not be given priority during any load shedding.

Traveling to Tirana, Albania, Emmanuel Macron for his part spoke to demand an end to “scenarios of fear”.

“The scenarios of fear are no,” hammered the President of the Republic during his speech from Tirana. “I hear a lot of concern, but we must not give in to panic! The government, it is its duty, is working on scenarios to deal with any situation. But if we do well, each at our level, efforts, that we keep the sobriety plan, combined with the work carried out with EDF, there is no reason to have a scenario that goes towards darker days, he assured. winter”, assured Emmanuel Macron.

Before continuing: “And if we buy gas, well grouped, in Europeans, I think that we will be able to absorb inflation on gas prices in the first half of 2023. But that will not prevent several European economies from enter a recession in 2023”.