French energy reforms to continue under new minister

Spanish Market: Electricity, Emissions, Natural gas
09/07/13

London, 9 July (Argus) — French energy minister Philippe Martin, who replaced Delphine Batho as energy minister last week, has emphasised that the government remains committed to its energy transition policies.

Martin, the Socialist deputy for Gers, listed the role of nuclear in the French generation mix as one of his priorities as minister, indicating that the government's plan to reduce the role of nuclear generation from 75pc to 50pc by 2025 is unchanged. Martin also said he would prioritise the introduction of new environmental taxes and increase the rate of renewables installations.

Batho, who had held the post of energy minister since June 2012, was relieved of her ministerial duties by President Francois Hollande last week — shortly before the culmination of the energy debate she launched in November 2012 — after publicly criticising the budget cut.

Batho said the reduction of 7pc year on year to the energy minister's 2014 budget casts into doubt Hollande's commitment to the government's energy policies. These centre around the nuclear closures, which Hollande has said will start with the closure of the 1.7GW Fessenheim plant before the end of 2016.

The government's timetable for implementing its energy legislation is unchanged under the new minister. The energy debate — which was intended to hammer out the details of the transition policies — is drawing to a close and the synthesis of regional debates has been published.

Martin is expected to submit a draft bill on the energy transition to the national assembly in the autumn as previously planned, which will then be debated by the assembly and the senate later in 2014.

The ecologist EELV party, which holds two ministries within the government, has listed the closure of Fessenheim as a condition of its supporting Hollande.

Martin is known to be close to the EELV and has previously expressed his opposition to shale gas exploration.

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