France’s nuclear plants are going down for repairs

As europe struggles with the energy crunch caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, France has until now been in denial. Thanks to its nuclear-energy industry, the country is usually a net exporter of electricity to the rest of Europe, including Britain. Unlike Germany, which had to cut energy use fast due to its heavy reliance on Russian gas, France uses relatively little gas in its energy mix. Indeed, as energy prices have soared the French government has focused more on subsidising fuel prices than on encouraging energy savings.

So it came as a shock when President Emmanuel Macron chose the national holiday on July 14th to tell the French that they too had to cut back. He has urged a regime of energy “sobriety”, to reduce consumption and waste. The government wants to shrink overall French energy use by 10% by 2024. It will fine shops if they leave their street doors open while the air-conditioning is on, or their commercial signs lit up all night. The big French retailers have promised to dim in-store lighting and turn off bright signs after hours.