New wind and solar power projects in France could be excluded from the country’s proposed National Energy and Climate Program for 2025-2035 as the French National Assembly voted to impose an immediate, but temporary moratorium on the build-out of such facilities.
Introduced by Republican Member of the Parliament (MP) Jérôme Nury, the amendment no. 486, voted on by the assembly, seeks an independent review of an immediate pause on new installations.
“This moratorium will remain in force for the entire duration necessary to carry out an objective and independent study aimed at determining the optimal energy mix for France, from an economic and environmental point of view,” reads the amendment.
The 3rd and final draft of the country’s Multiannual Energy Programming (PPE3) has proposed a solar PV target of between 65 GW and 90 GW by 2035, down from the previous proposal of 75 GW to 100 GW.
Those opposed to the inclusion of wind and solar in PPE 3 argue that by tripling the installed capacity of intermittent renewable energy, PPE3 would impose an estimated financial burden of €300 billion on the French by 2035-2040, as they rally around nuclear energy (see France Lowers 2035 Solar PV Target To 90 GW In Final Draft Of PPE3).
The amendment criticizes the imposition of wind and solar energy in France, claiming it was driven by ideology and ‘short-sighted, irresponsible electoral agreements’, without proper technical or economic analysis. It argues that this shift has led to rising electricity costs, degraded living environments due to expanding wind farms, and pressure on residents and local officials from aggressive developers and speculative electricity suppliers. It leaves the system vulnerable to blackouts as experienced in Spain on April 28, 2025.
On the other hand, the bill supports ramping up nuclear power, with plans to reopen Fessenheim and build 14 new reactors by 2050. The final Senate vote is due on June 24, 2025.
It proposes adopting an annual target for the production of carbon-free energy from nuclear, hydraulic, tidal, geothermal, aerothermal, biomass, osmotic and kinetic installations, according to the French renewable energy association Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables (SER).
No wonder then that the French renewable energy industry is in uproar, and wants the Senate members to reject the proposed law.
SER termed the proposals irresponsible and ‘in defiance of science’. It would weaken the country’s energy efficiency efforts and put jobs at risk.
“It puts tens of thousands of jobs at risk and sacrifices our energy future beyond the next 10 years. In the name of our country's energy security, in the name of its competitiveness and credibility, in the name of all the jobs in the energy transition, in the name of the future of generations to come, we solemnly call on MPs, this time, to mobilize strongly to reject this incoherent text that shames France,” said SER President Jules NYSSEN.
Earlier this year, in February 2025, France proposed to slash feed-in-tariff (FIT) for the rooftop solar segment retroactively for installations below 500 kW (see France Raises Industry Concerns By Lowering Rooftop Solar Incentives).
