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Electricity in France - statistics & facts

France is the second-largest electricity producing country in Europe and the tenth leading electricity producer in the world. It is also a global leader in nuclear energy production and an ambitious investor in low-carbon sources. Every year, the volume of electricity produced in France is between 50 and 100 terawatt-hours larger than its electricity consumption. Accordingly, France’s electricity exports to other European countries amounted to nearly double the volume of electricity it imported as of 2021.
However, the ongoing energy crisis is affecting the French electricity market as well. Included among the causes of the energy crisis are the growth in electricity demand due to the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, the international trading restrictions as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among other factors. Another contributing factor was that France’s nuclear fleet underwent several forced power outages due to meteorological and technical problems with its infrastructure during 2021 and 2022.

How is electricity generated in France?

Nuclear power is the primary source of electricity generation in France, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the overall total in 2021. While renewables are the second-largest source of electricity in France, the electricity produced by hydropower, wind, solar, and bioenergy is equivalent to only one-third of the nuclear share. Fossil fuels, especially natural gas, are still present in the country's electricity production, with an installed electricity capacity of 18 gigawatts per year. Despite France having a low-carbon electricity mix, electricity generation accounts for the largest share of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the French energy sector.

Price of electricity in France

During the energy crisis, the price of electricity skyrocketed in Europe; France included. The wholesale electricity price in France reached 490 euros per megawatt-hour in the summer of 2022, around ten times larger than in the summer of 2020. The electricity price for households in France increased accordingly. Since the end of 2021, the French government implemented a tariffs’ shield to keep the increase in electricity prices below four percent. The parties affected by this measure are households with a consumption below 30 megawatts per year and small co-ownerships with consumption below 150 megawatts per year, with electricity supplied at regulated tariffs or at indexed electricity prices following the regulated tariffs. This price cap will be maintained in 2023, with an electricity price growth limit of 15 percent.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 14, 2022

Key insights

Electricity production in France
547 TWh
France's position in global electricity production ranking
Tenth
France's electricity capacity
139 GW
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Installed electricity capacity in France in 2021, by energy source (in gigawatts)

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Electricity capacity in France 2021, by energy source

Leading countries in electricity generation worldwide in 2021 (in terawatt-hours)

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Global power production 2021, by leading country

Electricity consumption in France from 2013 to 2021 (in terawatt-hours)

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Electricity consumption in France 2013-2021

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