An appeal to higher electricity prices
Electricity rates in France, among the lowest in the world for the consumer, will better reflect the real costs of production. Clearly, they will increase. This is one of the recommendations of the report of 166 pages that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) published on Monday morning. Created in 1974 after the first oil crisis, the IEA, based in Paris, provides a comprehensive review every five years the energy policy of each of its 28 member states.
Since the last such exercise, the hexagonal landscape was shaken by the gradual opening of markets to competition in gas and electricity, as well as the Grenelle Environment, described by the IEA to "environmental program impressive "to" ambitious goals ".
Railing against regulated tariffs
On an issue that directly affects the consumer, the Agency challenges the national system of pricing.For the IEA, champion of the liberalization of the electricity market, as Brussels, regulated tariffs, both for households and industrial customers will not endure. If they do not reflect costs, regulated tariffs create a "market distortion". The rate used in France does not reflect the cost, very heavy, setting up new nuclear reactors, the development of the 58 reactors of EDF were largely borne by the state.
In this context, the IEA applauds Nome Law, adopted June 15 by the National Assembly and still under review by the Senate, providing access to EDF's competitors to some of its electricity from nuclear power.The tariff, subject to a brawl between EDF and its competitors will be determined by the Commission for Electricity Regulation (CER).
Access to electricity in question
The report also highlights the weakness of the French system to meet peak electricity demand and reiterates the risk of faults in some regions (Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur). An increased risk by the "limited availability" of nuclear power, which in 2008 turned to less than 80% of its capacity due to various incidents.
The IEA also interested in access of the poor to electricity. In late 2009, 800,000 households benefited from social tariffs for electricity and 400,000 gas. However, eligible households would total 2 million and 1 million respectively. The IEA has accused the government of inadequately informed about the tariffs that have helped cost the state 90 million euros.She recommends simplifying access, too bureaucratic.
Finally about renewable energy, the report points to the cumbersome administrative procedures to locate wind turbines.
