During a vacation on the French Côte d’Azur, the contrast with the Netherlands is immediately apparent: while we struggle with grid congestion and rising energy costs, France seems far more carefree thanks to decades of investment in nuclear energy. The key lesson: the energy transition requires not only plans and ambition, but above all courage, investment, and political perseverance.
Over the past two weeks—after a hectic spring on the energy markets—I took some time off with a vacation on the Côte d’Azur. There, French life flows along peacefully, and the sun, wine, and outdoor cafés make life good. The local jet set doesn’t seem to worry about the cost of gasoline or diesel; massive motor yachts come and go in the picturesque little harbors.
The average French person doesn’t seem to worry about electricity usage either. During the first few days, the air conditioner could be set to the heating mode in the evenings during the last cool spring nights of the year. But summer soon arrived in full force, and temperatures soared. The air conditioners switched to cooling mode and hummed away at full speed. Grid congestion, excessive costs, and a government urging people to use as little electricity as possible between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. are not an issue.
In the Netherlands, waiting lists for new connections or upgrades have grown to unprecedented lengths. In France, on the other hand, businesses are being attracted by the promise of stable and largely low-carbon electricity. This is due in no small part to its 57 nuclear reactors, which account for nearly 70% of the country’s electricity. Add some solar and wind energy to that, and for many countries, it serves as a model of what a mix of local and sustainable energy can—and perhaps must—look like.
“Over-reliance on energy imports makes a country vulnerable”
Of course, everyone knows that an energy transition isn’t the same as a transformation, and that it takes a lot of time (and money) to successfully transition to a good (read: reliable) new energy system. After all, the French didn’t rush into it either.
Although the first nuclear power plant in Marcoule began operations in 1956, France did not truly become a major power in this field until the 1980s. Following the 1973 oil crisis, the French government decided to focus on greater energy independence. After all, the oil crisis demonstrated that excessive dependence on imports makes a country vulnerable. This is a topic that is particularly relevant again today, proving once more that history always repeats itself.
If history repeats itself so often, you’d expect people to learn from it. After all, a donkey doesn’t stumble over the same stone twice. And although public opinion on nuclear energy in Europe shifted after the Fukushima disaster (2011)—think of Germany’s nuclear phase-out—France had other concerns. The old reactors were showing signs of wear and tear and therefore required more maintenance. On top of that, the problem of drought or excessively warm cooling water is becoming increasingly common. Yet this has not deterred President Macron from once again making a strong commitment to nuclear energy. His plans focus on new reactors (EPR2) and the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs).
“Transitions take time and money. And it takes political courage to acknowledge that and sell it to your supporters.”
It is one of many examples that show that vision, courage, and dedication can take you a long way. The French learned lessons from the oil crisis and resolved in 1973 that they didn’t want to go through that again. That’s why they fully committed to investments that paid off in the decades that followed, right up to the present day. It’s somewhat comparable to the Dutch storm surge barrier, which was also built after lessons were learned from the past and from which we still benefit today.
The lessons from recent events are plain to see. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated that it is unwise to rely too heavily on imports of critical goods (such as face masks). The energy crisis (2021–present) shows that over-reliance on energy imports from a single country is problematic when a conflict arises with that country.
Although we have rapidly reduced our dependence on oil and gas imports from Russia, this has now been replaced by an excessive dependence on the United States—a country that brandishes trade tariffs and threatens to link those tariffs to the security of LNG supplies to Europe if no agreement is reached. China, too, regularly threatens to halt or reduce the supply or processing of critical metals.
Once again, there is talk in Europe of greater energy independence. The vision is there. However, the courage and commitment are lagging far behind. Transitions take time and money. And it takes political courage to acknowledge that and sell it to your constituents. Costs come before benefits. Right now, we’re still too focused on quick fixes and temporary measures, when what’s really needed is to scale up major long-term investments.
“You can’t bring about the energy transition from your bed”
The 113th Tour de France kicks off on Saturday, July 4. This year’s route features no fewer than two finishes on Alpe d’Huez, the mountain we like to call “the Dutch mountain.” This reminds me of a famous quote by Dutch Tour hero Joop Zoetemelk. In 1980, he said that you win the Tour in bed. What Zoetemelk meant by that was that only by resting well and taking time to recover can you endure such a grueling race and thus have a chance at victory.
You can’t bring about the energy transition from the comfort of your bed. But just like in the Tour de France, you need a plan, a team to carry it out, and time to take a breather now and then so you can finish the entire race. We have plenty of plans in Europe (and the Netherlands). Now we just need the courage and commitment to make them a reality. That requires determination, a lot of money, and courage.
Determined to give it our all for years to come. Funds to cover unprofitable peaks and enable the business community to physically bring about the transition. And the courage to keep explaining this to the public—and thus the voters—even in the face of headwinds or setbacks. In short, not with a slapdash approach, but with a French level of commitment!
Hans van Cleef is Head of Energy Research at EqoLibrium (this column was written in a personal capacity)
