France’s National Assembly has rejected a draft bill that proposed a halt to new renewable energy developments until 2035, voting down the measure by a wide margin following its initial approval during a first reading last week.
The bill, backed by several far-right parties, sought to reorient the country’s energy strategy exclusively around nuclear power. Amendments included removing biofuel development targets, placing a moratorium on wind and solar projects, and calling for a comprehensive reassessment of France’s long-term energy mix.
Republican Member of Parliament Jérôme Nury, who introduced the moratorium amendment, said the pause was necessary “for the time necessary to conduct an independent, in-depth, and objective study aimed at determining the optimal energy mix for France, from both an economic and environmental perspective.” Projects already authorised would not have been affected by the proposed ban.
The bill was ultimately defeated by 377 votes to 142.
Supporters of the proposal argued that France’s renewable energy expansion had contributed to higher electricity prices, adversely impacted rural communities, and placed a financial strain on the state.
The Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables (SER), France’s renewable energy trade association, strongly criticised the bill. SER President Jules Nyssen said the text would have jeopardised the country’s energy transition and threatened thousands of jobs.
“The text threatens to wipe out with a stroke of the pen the 160,000 people who currently work in the renewable energy sector in France, in all regions, particularly rural areas, within a large number of SMEs and mid-cap companies,” Nyssen said. “In the name of our country’s energy security, its competitiveness and credibility, all the jobs in the energy transition, and the future of generations to come, we solemnly call on MPs… to reject this incoherent text that shames France.
The French Senate is expected to continue examining the broader national energy and climate strategy in the coming weeks.
