France Risks Power Cuts This Winter: RTE

The French grid operator once again warned of power cuts in France this winter, amid low nuclear availability according to RTE.

• In a bid to avoid blackouts, the French government has called for businesses, local governments, and households to conserve energy. Should RTE foresee an electricity shortage, it will launch an “Ecowatt” red alert three days in advance to call for users to reduce consumption in a bid to avoid rotating power cuts”, RTE president Piechaczyk said on Radio Classique Monday.
• “We remain in a situation of particular vigilance. If it’s hot, you won’t hear about red Ecowatt. If it’s very cold, you’ll hear a lot of them, and if we’re in an average, median, normal winter, it will be a few units of red Ecowatt”, he said.
• RTE will update its assessment for the next four weeks on 18 November, he added.
• EDF earlier this month revised down its nuclear output estimates in France to 275-285TWh, from 280-300 previously estimated.
• French power prices for this winter have been trading at a premium to neighbouring countries such as Germany due to electricity supply risks.