For many countries across the globe, the evolving energy transition is of the utmost importance in their domestic politics. With the longstanding reliance on hydrocarbons and associated greenhouse gas emissions, many governments are clamoring to find alternative sources to power their complex national power grids. Wind, solar, and geothermal sourcing offer compelling solutions, however, there is one source that stands above the rest – that being Nuclear fission.
The modern science supporting nuclear fission technology first came about as far back as 1895. It was subsequently developed until the end of World War II, and since 1956 the development of reliable power plants has been the primary focus of nuclear development. In this arena, France serves as a standout international example of embracing nuclear energy.
France has a rich history of nuclear power development. French scientists Henri Becquerel, Pierre Curie, and Marie Curie were responsible for discovering spontaneous radioactivity in 1896 – in the case of Becquerel – and polonium and radium in 1898 in the case of the Curies. Founded in 1945, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) oversaw the construction of France’s first commercial reactor in 1963.
In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, the French government made a conscious decision to decrease its reliance on imported fossil fuels as its primary energy source and seek relative energy independence through domestic energy production. The result was a substantial expansion of its nuclear energy production in the 1980s. At certain points since the 1980s – primarily 1999 and 2015 – there have been internal pressures to decrease the reliance on France’s nuclear energy. However, in both instances, government consultations reaffirmed France’s commitment to expanding its reactor fleet. This policy position has led to France currently generating 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy across 18 commercial plants, and producing just 5.18 tons of CO2 per capita – amongst the lowest in the Western world.
The robust nature of France’s nuclear industry sees it take the position of the world’s largest net electricity exporter. The low cost of generation (a longterm achievement after high initial capital investments) allows France to net more than $3.2 billion in annual profits from its energy exports, and the expertise from decades of development also sees it export fuel products and services to other countries trying to grow their nuclear portfolios.
While France’s energy policy allows it to produce electricity cheaply and efficiently, its reliance on nuclear energy still poses certain challenges.
From December 2021 until January 2022, routine maintenance checks revealed corrosion in several of its N4 and P’4 Nuclear reactors. The subsequent repairs led to the Chivaux 1 and 2, Chooz B2, and Penly 1 reactors being temporarily offline. This, combined with increased river temperatures – which affected the cooling process – saw a 22 percent decrease in nuclear electricity production from the previous year and reached the lowest levels in 30 years. In February 2020 – due to safety evaluations and political motivations – the Fessenheim 1 plant was taken offline. In both instances, fossil fuels were utilized to meet demand.
Nuclear production did rebound by 14 percent in 2023 and increased by 13.4 percent in Q1 of 2024. However, the outages indicate frailty in France’s energy policy and present challenges. Many of France’s reactors are reaching the end of their life spans. The average age of a French nuclear reactor is 37 years – seven years beyond their originally licensed lifespan. There is little evidence to suggest a widespread threat of failure; however, France’s ability to meet electricity demand would be critically affected if several reactors were to go offline concurrently.
The prioritization of nuclear energy has not just been a choice, but a strategic move that has allowed France to gain one of the highest levels of energy independence in Europe while maintaining extremely low levels of per-capita carbon output. Despite the problems with reactor maintenance, France seems well-equipped to face its challenges, with the parliamentary approval for the construction of six new reactors passing in January 2023 reaffirming France’s strong commitment to nuclear energy.
Today, France’s experience with nuclear energy serves U.S. policymakers as an example of what a longterm nuclear strategy can achieve for Americans – energy independence, security, and affordability – which require committment to nuclear on a timescale that clears regulatory hurdles and accepts high startup costs in the short term so that consumers can enjoy safety, low costs, and energy reliability in the long term.
Written by Nicholas Cheyne, Public Policy Intern
The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is an independent, national research and educational organization. An innovative think tank, Aii explores the intersection of economics, law, and public policy in the areas of climate, damage prevention, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation.