After the unions and the management of EDF denounced the government’s decision to ask the energy company to sell more electricity at low prices to its competitors, Barbara Pompili wanted to make things clear. Invited this Wednesday morning on Sud Radio, the Minister for the Ecological Transition judged that it was “normal to askto EDF to help contain the French electricity bill, stressing that the company would only sell “not at a loss” corn “would earn less than expected“.
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Last Thursday, in the midst of soaring energy prices and in a context of high inflation, the executive announced that it was going to force EDF to sell more electricity at low prices to alternative suppliers, to protect the power of purchase of the French. EDF will thus sell at a reduced price up to 40% of its electricity production in 2022, instead of selling at high market prices. Enough to cause the group to lose around 8 billion euros on its 2022 gross operating surplus, according to its figures.
“I think it’s normal that we ask this to EDF, because it’s money from nuclear power plants that are depreciated“said Barbara Pompili. “Who paid for the construction of these nuclear power plants? It is the French taxpayers, so it is normal that in a period of crisis, in an exceptional period, that we ask for exceptional aid from EDF“, also highlighted the minister. And the former environmentalist to continue: “They are not selling at a loss, they had expected this price increase to make them a lot of money, it will make them less money than they had expected, it is a loss of profit but they are not losing silver.»
The state “needs EDF»
“The State has always been alongside EDF, we need EDF, which is our main electrician“, she added. Last week, Barbara Pompili said that “we will be alongside EDF to help them overcome this difficulty“, reviving speculation on a possible recapitalization. For their part, the four main unions in the energy sector called for a strike at EDF on January 26, in order to protest against government measures.
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Asked shortly after on RMC / BFMTV, Bruno Le Maire made comments similar to those of his colleague in the government. “EDF is a public company, which must serve the public and respond to a reason of general interestsaid the economy minister, pointing out that the government had been there when energy prices were at their lowest and EDF needed recapitalization in 2017.I will never let EDF down, I will never let employees down“said the tenant of Bercy. “If there are needs, we will meet EDF’s needs.»
Asked on Wednesday whether or not to renationalise EDF, as proposed by the environmental candidate for the presidential Yannick Jadot, Barbara Pompili also replied that she had “no religion on these subjects“, but EDF “nationalized or not, we need more energy savings, we need more renewables, and we need to work to solidify our nuclear power, whatever solution is chosen“.