Trends in electricity consumption in France?

Predictions and futurological studies of electricity consumption have recurrently aroused controversies about France's power stations. These stations produce a supply of electricity that is highly decarbonized and will even more so, thanks to nuclear power, once the last coal-fueled power stations are shut down in 2022, as announced. This makes electricity an obvious vector for reaching our climate objectives. Nuclear power theoretically provides a ground for programs that would use electricity for new industries and purposes (e.g., 'mobility'). Nonetheless, a successful energy transition entails a general effort on energy consumption, in particular the effort to find ways to save energy, including electricity. The priority to be established between these two orientations, the weighting of the effects, upwards or downwards, that each implies on different time scales, the consequences for power stations (in particular, the place of nuclear power) and the energy sector's overall structure are topics of lively debates. These debates are reflected in the work done since 2017 by RTE, the transmission system operator, to thoroughly revise scenarios for France's electricity sector. (author)