The disaster of the European energy policy (Michel Gay) France French

The disaster of the European energy policy, especially for France

By Michel Gay January 23, 2014

For 10 years, the energy policy of Europe is a disaster that continues to grow. The first 2003 European directive on renewable energies, called " green " has been the cause of any abuse.

While France had led since General de Gaulle an independent and consistent policy, the European Commission decided in 2001 to require each country guidelines motivated by ideological bias and not taking into account the specificities of each country.

This first directive in 2003, setting a target of 21 % of gross domestic consumption from renewable energy sources in 2010, was a sham. Under pressure from Germany, antinuclear environmentalist lobbies, very influential in Brussels and unacceptable passivity French negotiators, nuclear power has been voluntarily removed from non-emitting energy greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), while that the objective of the Directive was primarily the fight against global warming.

Europe has seriously failed excluding nuclear non- GHG emitting energy and is responsible for tens of billions of euros engulfed wasted.

The so-called 3 x 20 Directive, who succeeded it in 2008 was applied in France by law programming August 3, 2009 issue of the Grenelle environment. This law provides in particular that the share of renewable energy will be increased to 23% in 2020 in the final energy consumption. It was passed almost unanimously in the french "AssemblĂŠe Nationale".

Economic, environmental and societal consequences for our country are disastrous.

Tens of billions of euros were engulfed wasted in wind turbines and photovoltaic panels.

Investment must be repeated three times with respect to the given nuclear lifetime of these installations is that a maximum of 20 years. This causes an increase in the cost of electricity paid by consumers, especially the poorest. And for 20 years, EDF (ElectricitĂŠ de France) has an obligation to purchase electricity at exorbitant prices. This also causes an increase in CO2 emissions due to intermittency must be compensated by central gas or coal as in Germany at this time. In addition, the manufacture of solar modules is made in China and we purchase our wind turbines in Denmark, Germany and Spain.

The objective of 5 GW solar energy provided in 2020 by the Grenelle Environment Forum will be reached in late 2013, six years earlier. It will cost investment over 30 billion euros. It will be repeated three times over 60 years while the energy produced, only 1% of total production, could be produced by a nuclear reactor of 600 MW (the third production of Nuclear plant of Fessenheim which has two reactors of 900 MW) for an investment of less

than two billion, seven times less. Consumers and taxpayers pay more than $ 1.5 billion per year and this for 20 years, an increase of the annual bill of euro fifty electricity !

European Directive 3 x 20 on energy efficiency referring to the primary energy leads to penalize the use of electricity for heating to gas, which is an aberration.

One of the objectives of the European directive on the liberalization of electricity markets is to destabilize the European leader and even global electricity, EDF .

Any responsible energy policy must be based on the following two main objectives : 1) energy independence , that is to say, to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels , 2) The lowest possible energy costs.

European Commissioner (Mr Oettinger) seems finally discover these goals with 10 years late.

Europe must intervene? The question is the role of Europe 's energy policy. It is not necessary to use the "technocrats" in Brussels to make common sense decisions.

Nearly 90 % of french electricity is produced without CO2 emissions through nuclear (75%) and dams (10 %). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is therefore not a priority in the energy policy of France, which is one of the most virtuous countries in the world in this field.

We must remember that our country is 65 million inhabitants of the planet over 7 billion people most of whom have no interest in global warming.

It follows the following key proposals : 1 ) Ensure a share of at least 75 % nuclear to continue to benefit from massive electricity cheaply.

2) Extend the life of the current fleet of up to 60 years if possible.

3) Prepare the use of Generation 4 reactors by launching as soon as possible the construction of ASTRID reactor (600 MWe) under Marcoule and also intensify research on Thorium cycle - Uranium 233.

4) Increase the use of electricity to replace fossil fuels (in industry, heating, transport through the development of electric cars, road-rail links, ... ).

5 ) Stop urgent aid granted to wind energy and especially solar panels which cost the nation amount to several billion euros spent in vain. These wasteful subsidies totaled â‚Ź 3.6 billion in 2011, â‚Ź 4.3 billion in 2012 and the Regulatory Commission of Energy ( page 10 Annex 5 , 667 T1 Senate report July 2012) provides â‚Ź 5.1 billion in 2013.

6) Remove the purchase obligations by EDF electricity from renewables at outrageously high prices and the cost is reflected for 20 years at the consumer level and especially the poorest.

This tax will continue to appear as a tax.

7) Change aberrant french standard RT 2012 which penalizes the use of electricity for heating to gas.

8) Conduct an incentive action against all waste (including financial in certain renewable energies) by a policy of school training and information through audio visual means.

9 ) Continue the actions decided by the law of 9 August 2009 concerning the thermal renovation of buildings and transportation.

10 ) Expand the use of biomass for power generation, district heating, biogas develop the sector.

11) Remove or modify the precautionary principle, a real obstacle to innovation and progress, only Germany, France and Brazil have included in their constitution.

In the current context of globalization and liberalization of the energy required by the European Union, it belongs to the state, as was the case for 60 years, to have control of the country's energy policy.

For over 10 years, the conducted European policy is a serious offense that can only lead to an even greater disaster for the competitiveness of our industry and for the standard of living of Europeans. Be aware that the damage " acquired " by the contract must be supported by all for 20 years.

As written February 2, 2012 by the former President Giscard d' Estaing : " The abandonment of energy independence for France would be more than a mistake, it would be a crime."

Michel Gay