The winter will be tough on the energy front. “The Risk of Tension” on the electricity grid this winter is “increased”but remains “controllable thanks to strong mobilization” in favor of energy savings and sobriety. This is the picture painted, Wednesday, September 14, by the manager of the electricity transmission network (RTE).
“The risk of cuts cannot be totally excluded, but it could be avoided by lowering national consumption by 1 to 5% in the majority of cases, and up to 15% in the most extreme weather situations.”
“Under no circumstances does France run a risk of a ‘blackout'”that’s to say “the total loss of control of the electrical system”, assured the manager of the electricity network. But faced with a situation “degraded”RTE has exceptionally advanced the period of “vigilance” which will begin in the fall and will focus in particular on the months of November and December.
In “the vast majority of situations”RTE only envisages “a few red Ecowatt signals over the 6 months of winter”. Created in 2020, this device, also nicknamed “electricity weather” allows users to see the situation of the electrical system in real time and to volunteer to reduce their consumption in the event of voltage, when they receive an SMS alert.
The system, open to individuals, has been extended to companies thus called upon to carry out “eco-gestures”. For example, by lowering or postponing their consumption of heating, lighting or cooking, especially at the most critical times. According to RTE, the vast majority of “risk situations” are in the morning between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and in the evening between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
These announcements come a few hours before Elisabeth Borne speaks. The Prime Minister is due to unveil at 3:30 p.m. the possible scenarios for coping with energy consumption peaks this winter and detailing the new terms and conditions of the tariff shield for 2023.