Beginning in the mid-1970s, in response to the oil shortages triggered by the 1973 Arab oil embargo, French authorities made a strategic decision to shift away from petroleum and maximize the nationwide use of nuclear power for electricity generation. Emphasis was placed on coherent national standards to expedite development and operations.
The chart tracks hourly summer generation across July 2025. Nuclear power accounted for 60 to 80 percent of intra-day generation, with peaks exceeding 44 gigawatts drawn from a total installed nuclear base of 63 gigawatts.
Solar and wind added some intra-day generation, with solar contributing about 20 percent of total French power requirements during midday. Battery storage, while now in use, supplied less than 1 percent of generation.
As the need for reliable, low-carbon electricity draws renewed attention to nuclear power, France illustrates how steady regulatory authority combined with uniform technology standards can sustain a nuclear-dominated grid over the long term.
From the EPRINC Chart of the Week archive.