France has released an extensive update to its renewable energy policy, providing a clear roadmap for the future of energy production in the country. This update includes a detailed Policy Snapshot for 2024, highlighting France’s commitment to renewable energy and its targets under the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) from 2021 to 2030. The detailed review emphasizes the Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE), created in 2020. This program serves as a strategic framework to guide the nation toward our collective energy goals.
Key elements of this policy update address greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy tariffs, and auction timelines that reflect France’s proactive approach to sustainability and climate change. The new framework will double the pace of the country’s renewable energy capacity deployment and halve France’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2033 compared to 2019 levels.
Policy Snapshot and Renewable Energy Environment
France’s Policy Snapshot for 2024 thus provides an indispensable baseline for policymakers and advocates alike as they engage in reshaping the global energy landscape. It’s a look at the state of play on renewable energy policies across the country. These frameworks dictate how we produce and consume energy. This annual budgetary snapshot is essential for tracking how coherently France intends to pursue its energy transition in the years ahead.
In conjunction with the Policy Snapshot, the Renewable Energy Policy Environment Summary provides insights into the regulatory and economic factors influencing renewable energy development. This short overview spotlights some of the federal laws and initiatives that promote private and public investment in renewable resources. It unambiguously demonstrates France’s determination to solidify a sustainable energy future.
Further, the now legally binding Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE) adopted in 2020 lays out a long-term vision for energy production in France. It sets ambitious, yet achievable, targets and defines the bold action needed to accomplish those shared goals. The PPE is an essential part of keeping France on course to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets.
Targets Under the NECP
France’s NECP sets clear targets for renewable energy production from now until 2030. These targets are crucial for framing the overall direction of public policy and investment choices in the renewable industry. All of these countries—like the United States—are setting ambitious targets to boost the share of renewable energy in their overall energy mix and curb their greenhouse gas emissions.
Specifically, the NECP calls for increasing deployment of wind and solar energy capacities. These sources are key to providing France with the necessary means to hold up their climate commitments. France hopes to increase its energy independence by establishing visible goals for renewable energy production. Simultaneously, it is under obligation to follow European Union directives to act on climate change.
Beyond production targets, the NECP lays out measures to improve energy efficiency, creating more robust, efficient, and effective energy consumption across the country. The plan intentionally supports cutting-edge technologies and practices. These are common sense measures that can dramatically lower energy demand and drive a transition to energy sources that are cleaner, safer, and healthier.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimates
France takes reinforcing its climate leadership very seriously. They have created detailed GHG emission projections as part of the Strategy for National Low Carbon Development (SNBC) 2, which runs from 2019 to 2033 3. Well-thought-out estimates are essential for understanding progress on national and international climate commitments.
These GHG emission estimates offer important, preliminary insights. Secondly, they cast a critical lens on the success or lack thereof of existing policies and initiatives to reduce carbon footprints across all sectors. They highlight trends in emissions reductions, allowing policymakers to assess the impact of renewable energy investments and adjust strategies accordingly.
The SNBC 2 framework acknowledges the importance of engaging sectors that drive emissions, like the critical role of transportation and industrial processes. France is focusing in on major problem areas. Their first priority is moving forward with strong standards that result in the biggest possible emissions reductions by 2033.
Tariffs and Premiums for Renewable Energy
France has established stringent, transparent eligibility requirements for premium feed-in tariffs on renewable energy projects. This Administration’s American Manufacturing Initiative has made advancing domestic investment in clean technologies a priority. These criteria help guarantee that only projects most deserving of financial support get funded, maximizing the use of taxpayer resources.
Specifically, feed in tariffs and premiums for Solar PV installations have been detailed through 2025. These mechanisms are meant to help solar energy flourish by attracting investment capital and providing strong financial incentives for developers and tax equity investors. The structured tariffs also seek to reduce costs and, therefore, barriers to entry for small solar projects and provide fair, competitive compensation for electricity generated.
Rigorous eligibility criteria including Safety, Quality, and Capacity requirements for Rooftop Solar Installations have been explicitly mentioned in the revised policy structure. These criteria are intended to expedite the approval process. They make it easier for homeowners and businesses who want to go solar to have a clear path forward.
Renewable Energy Auctions
Since 2017, France has gone all-in on renewable energy auctions. These bids will keep going through 2024, granting contracts for projects that ramp up capacity in solar, wind and other renewable technologies. These auctions are hugely consequential in deciding how much energy we will see from renewables in the years to come.
The net impact of these reforms, developments, and future renewable energy auctions announced for the years 2022-2027 will continue to strengthen France’s renewable portfolio. To maintain a more competitive market, France held regular auctions. Together, this approach helps to drive costs down and keep rigorous standards for project eligibility.
Beyond just making smart investments possible, these auctions inherently create new opportunities among local communities and businesses. At the same time, the government makes tremendous efforts to encourage participation from a wide array of stakeholders. This strategy increases social acceptance and embeds renewable projects in local economies.