France

The French government has ambitious plans for the development of renewables and nuclear energy, climate-neutral hydrogen, energy efficiency, building renovation and the decarbonisation of industry.  France and Germany differ significantly in their energy mix – France sees a strong role for nuclear while Germany has an all-renewables strategy – yet both have many interests in a common EU power system that functions efficiently with high shares of renewables and provides competitive prices.

France and Germany are the two largest power markets in Europe, together accounting for more than a third of the electricity consumed and produced in the EU. France has robust domestic climate laws and public institutions that support the implementation of climate and energy policy. It is committed to the development of a fully decarbonised power grid, clean industry, electrification of transport, sustainable agriculture and a climate-neutral, energy-efficient building stock. Differences between the two countries’ electricity sector strategies only increase the need for closer cooperation if the EU’s wider transition is to succeed.

Agora Energiewende’s activities in the French context comprise research and analysis on various topics, including on approaches to clean industrial transformation, the reform of power market design, coordination of renewable and clean energy infrastructure, and sharing of best practice solutions for decarbonisation of agriculture, buildings and industry. We address concrete cooperation projects focusing on how the French-German partnership can be a key driver of a secure, clean and affordable power sector transformation in the EU. We also seek to inform the French energy debate about trends and challenges of the German energy transition and vice versa.