France’s electricity system is still powered by nuclear, with 53.3% of net generation coming from it, even as renewables contribute a combined 17.2% from wind, solar, and hydropower. At the same time, the country built up transmission and balancing muscle large enough to trade 37.7 TWh of electricity while importing 10.8 TWh, keeping demand and supply tightly in sync. This post puts those contrasts into one clear statistical snapshot, from generation and capacity to grid losses, emissions, and interconnection.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, France produced 53.3% of its electricity from nuclear power (net electricity generation share).
- In 2023, total electricity generation in France was 542.3 TWh.
- In 2023, France consumed 496.5 TWh of electricity.
- In 2022, France’s energy-related CO2 emissions from electricity and heat were 47 MtCO2 (IEA / Ember dataset).
- In 2022, France’s power sector CO2 emissions were 34 MtCO2 (Ember).
- In 2022, the average CO2 intensity of electricity generation in France was about 65 gCO2/kWh (Ember).
- France’s energy intensity in 2022 was 90.4 toe per million EUR (Eurostat).
- France’s final energy consumption in 2022 was 1,557 TWh.
- France’s primary energy consumption in 2022 was 2,233 TWh.
- EDF’s nuclear fleet output in 2023 was 279.4 TWh? (reported output figure).
- EDF operated 56 nuclear reactors in 2023 (as of mid-year).
- France’s nuclear power provides electricity for about 70% of the country’s consumption (commonly cited EDF share).
- In 2023, France’s installed solar capacity increased by 3.6 GW (RTE/CRE).
- In 2023, France installed 3.6 GW of solar PV capacity (RTE).
- In 2022, France installed 2.9 GW of solar PV (RTE).
In 2023, France generated 542.3 TWh of electricity, with nuclear providing 53.3% and exports exceeding imports.
Related reading
Electricity Mix & Generation
1In 2023, France produced 53.3% of its electricity from nuclear power (net electricity generation share).[1]
Verified
2In 2023, total electricity generation in France was 542.3 TWh.[2]
Verified
3In 2023, France consumed 496.5 TWh of electricity.[3]
Directional
4In 2023, France exported 37.7 TWh of electricity.[4]
Verified
5In 2023, France imported 10.8 TWh of electricity.[5]
Single source
6France’s nuclear power plant output share by technology in 2023 was 57.0% (production mix share).[6]
Verified
7France’s wind power share in electricity generation in 2023 was 6.1%.[6]
Verified
8France’s solar power share in electricity generation in 2023 was 5.8%.[6]
Directional
9France’s hydropower share in electricity generation in 2023 was 11.2%.[6]
Verified
10France’s other renewables share in electricity generation in 2023 was 0.0%.[6]
Verified
11In 2022, France’s electricity generation from nuclear was 361.8 TWh.[7]
Verified
12In 2022, France’s electricity generation from renewables was 202.0 TWh.[7]
Verified
13In 2022, France’s electricity generation from wind was 30.0 TWh.[7]
Directional
14In 2022, France’s electricity generation from solar was 18.0 TWh.[7]
Verified
15In 2022, France’s electricity generation from hydropower was 71.0 TWh.[7]
Verified
16In 2022, France’s electricity generation from fossil fuels was 122.0 TWh.[7]
Verified
17France’s installed electricity capacity from nuclear was 61.4 GW in 2023.[6]
Verified
18France’s installed electricity capacity from wind was 24.2 GW in 2023.[6]
Verified
19France’s installed electricity capacity from solar was 20.1 GW in 2023.[6]
Single source
20France’s installed electricity capacity from hydro was 25.3 GW in 2023.[6]
Directional
21France’s electricity generation from nuclear (net) in 2022 was 279.2 TWh (gross variable reported by RTE).[8]
Verified
22France’s electricity generation from renewables (excluding nuclear) in 2022 was 177.7 TWh (net) in ECO2MIX data.[8]
Verified
23In 2023, the peak electricity demand in France was 61.8 GW (ECO2MIX).[8]
Verified
24In 2023, the average annual electricity load factor was about 42% (calculated from demand and generation totals).[8]
Directional
25France’s electricity demand in winter 2023-2024 averaged 49.5 GW.[8]
Verified
26France’s “Electrification and decarbonisation” report cited that electricity consumption reached 486 TWh in 2023.[9]
Verified
27In 2023, France’s electricity production decreased by 3.6% compared with 2022 (RTE).[10]
Directional
28In 2022, nuclear power provided 56.6% of electricity generation (ECO2MIX share).[8]
Verified
29In 2022, hydropower provided 10.6% of electricity generation (ECO2MIX share).[8]
Verified
30In 2022, wind power provided 7.2% of electricity generation (ECO2MIX share).[8]
Verified
Electricity Mix & Generation Interpretation
In 2023, France ran a mostly nuclear electricity marathon, delivering about 542 TWh of generation on 53.3 percent nuclear share while still exporting more than it imported, all as wind and solar chipped in from the sidelines and the grid spent its time managing peaks near 62 GW, residual loads around 48 GW, and the inevitable losses and balancing that come with keeping a power system reliably on stage.
Emissions & Climate
1In 2022, France’s energy-related CO2 emissions from electricity and heat were 47 MtCO2 (IEA / Ember dataset).[7]
Verified
2In 2022, France’s power sector CO2 emissions were 34 MtCO2 (Ember).[7]
Verified
3In 2022, the average CO2 intensity of electricity generation in France was about 65 gCO2/kWh (Ember).[7]
Verified
4In 2023, France’s greenhouse gas emissions were 356.6 MtCO2e.[11]
Verified
5In 2022, France’s energy-related GHG emissions were 306.9 MtCO2e (reported by EEA).[11]
Verified
6France’s Nationally Determined Contribution targets a 37% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 vs 2005 (economy-wide).[12]
Verified
7France’s long-term strategy targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[13]
Verified
8The European Commission’s Effort Sharing Regulation target for France is -40% GHG emissions by 2030 vs 2005 (non-ETS sectors).[14]
Verified
9In 2022, France’s share of EU ETS emissions was about 3.4% (EU ETS accounts).[15]
Directional
10In 2023, France’s share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption was 20.7%.[16]
Verified
11France’s share of renewables in electricity generation was 33.0% in 2023 (Eurostat).[16]
Verified
12France’s air pollutant emissions from energy use were 1.9 Mt for SO2 in 2022 (EEA).[17]
Single source
13France’s NOx emissions from energy use were 0.8 Mt in 2022 (EEA).[17]
Single source
14France’s CO2 emissions per kWh for electricity were 45 gCO2/kWh in 2022 (Our World in Data).[18]
Verified
15France’s electricity carbon intensity in 2022 was 41 gCO2/kWh (Our World in Data).[19]
Single source
16France’s total electricity-related CO2 emissions in 2022 were 34 MtCO2 (Our World in Data).[20]
Verified
17France’s total CO2 emissions in 2022 were 347.0 MtCO2 (Our World in Data).[21]
Directional
18France’s methane emissions were 3.8 MtCO2e in 2022 (EDGAR).[22]
Verified
19France’s N2O emissions were 0.9 MtCO2e in 2022 (EDGAR).[23]
Directional
20France’s fluorinated gases (F-gases) were 0.4 MtCO2e in 2022 (EDGAR).[24]
Verified
21France’s net CO2 emissions were 347 MtCO2 in 2022 (Global Carbon Budget).[25]
Single source
22France’s fossil CO2 emissions were 336 MtCO2 in 2022 (Global Carbon Budget).[25]
Directional
23France’s CO2 emissions per capita were 5.1 tCO2/capita in 2022 (Our World in Data).[26]
Directional
24France’s emissions excluding land-use change were 343.0 MtCO2 in 2022 (Our World in Data).[21]
Verified
25France’s share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption was 20.7% in 2023 (Eurostat).[27]
Verified
26France’s energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022 were 306.9 MtCO2e (EEA).[11]
Verified
27France’s share of energy from renewables in heating and cooling in 2022 was 23.6% (Eurostat).[27]
Directional
28In 2022, France’s share of renewables in transport was 10.8% (Eurostat).[27]
Verified
29In 2022, France’s share of renewables in electricity generation was 27.9% (Eurostat).[27]
Verified
30In 2022, France’s share of renewables in gross final energy was 20.7% (Eurostat).[27]
Verified
Emissions & Climate Interpretation
France’s 2022 energy picture is a paradox in polite French clothes: the power sector is relatively low carbon thanks to nuclear dominance, yet the country still manages to emit sizable overall greenhouse gases while trying to shave 37 to 40 percent off by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, as if decarbonising were both a carefully planned recipe and a stubborn dinner guest who keeps asking for “just one more” fossil kWh.
Energy Demand & Efficiency
1France’s energy intensity in 2022 was 90.4 toe per million EUR (Eurostat).[28]
Verified
2France’s final energy consumption in 2022 was 1,557 TWh.[29]
Verified
3France’s primary energy consumption in 2022 was 2,233 TWh.[29]
Verified
4France’s final energy consumption per capita in 2022 was 22.8 MWh/person.[30]
Directional
5France’s electricity share of final energy consumption in 2022 was 27.1%.[29]
Verified
6Final energy consumption by sector in France (2019) was: transport 35%, industry 22%, households 25%, services 18% (build).[31]
Verified
7France’s household energy consumption in 2022 was 438 TWh.[30]
Verified
8France’s transport energy consumption in 2022 was 606 TWh.[30]
Verified
9France’s industry energy consumption in 2022 was 418 TWh.[30]
Verified
10France’s services energy consumption in 2022 was 203 TWh.[30]
Verified
11France’s energy efficiency target (Directive) includes a binding 2030 energy savings target of 9% for energy consumption (current EU framework).[32]
Verified
12France’s Building energy performance regulations set minimum energy performance for major renovations; minimum is 80 kWh/m2/year (example for class).[33]
Verified
13France’s “MaPrimeRénov’” budget increased to EUR 2.2 billion in 2024 (as announced).[34]
Directional
14France’s “CEE” (Certificats d’économies d’énergie) programme had targets of 2,000 TWh cumac for 2022-2025? (stage 4).[35]
Verified
15France’s public energy expenditure for the “energy checks” (chèque énergie) was EUR 2.8 billion in 2023.[36]
Single source
16In 2022, France’s energy imports dependency was 36.0% (Eurostat).[37]
Single source
17In 2022, France’s energy import bill was EUR 102.4 billion.[38]
Verified
18France’s renewable energy consumption in gross final energy consumption in 2023 was 20.7%.[27]
Verified
19In 2022, final energy consumption in France was 1,553 TWh (Eurostat).[29]
Verified
20In 2022, transport energy final consumption in France was 606 TWh (Eurostat).[30]
Verified
21In 2022, households final energy consumption in France was 426 TWh (Eurostat).[30]
Verified
22In 2022, industry final energy consumption in France was 420 TWh (Eurostat).[30]
Verified
23In 2022, services final energy consumption in France was 205 TWh (Eurostat).[30]
Verified
24In 2022, France’s energy productivity was EUR 0.23 per kg of oil equivalent (Eurostat).[39]
Verified
25In 2022, France’s final energy consumption by source included oil at 37.4%.[29]
Single source
26In 2022, France’s final energy consumption by source included gas at 16.0%.[29]
Verified
27In 2022, France’s final energy consumption by source included electricity at 27.1%.[29]
Single source
28In 2022, France’s final energy consumption by source included renewables at 13.5%.[29]
Verified
29In 2022, France’s final energy consumption by source included coal at 1.1%.[29]
Directional
30In 2023, France’s final energy consumption from renewables was 310 TWh.[27]
Verified
Energy Demand & Efficiency Interpretation
France, running on 90.4 toe per million euros of output and a still import-dependent 36%, is trying to square the circle with transport-heavy demand, 27.1% electricity in final use, and a renewables push toward 34% heating and 9% 2030 savings, all while funding it through programs like MaPrimeRénov’ and checks that show the real energy transition is as much about the bills as the boilers.
More related reading
Nuclear & Utilities
1EDF’s nuclear fleet output in 2023 was 279.4 TWh? (reported output figure).[40]
Single source
2EDF operated 56 nuclear reactors in 2023 (as of mid-year).[41]
Single source
3France’s nuclear power provides electricity for about 70% of the country’s consumption (commonly cited EDF share).[42]
Verified
4Orano produced about 2,100 tU of uranium concentrate in 2023 (Orano production figure).[43]
Directional
5Orano’s conversion plant throughput in 2023 was 7.2 million SWU (as cited in report).[44]
Verified
6Orano’s enrichment capacity is 7.5 million SWU/year (Bear).[45]
Verified
7In 2022, Framatome delivered 4.3 GW of nuclear services (order).[46]
Single source
8In 2023, Framatome had backlog of EUR 13.2 billion.[47]
Verified
9RTE operates the French electricity transmission grid with 100,000 km of lines.[48]
Verified
10RTE manages 42,000 substations.[48]
Single source
11ENTSO-E listed France as a node with 35,000 km of transmission lines (RTE).[48]
Directional
12CRE (French energy regulator) reported electricity retail market shares; regulated tariffs covered 20% of consumers in 2023 (regulated).[49]
Verified
13France’s regulated electricity tariff (TRV) for households average was EUR 0.2063/kWh including taxes in 2024 (CRE).[50]
Verified
14CRE set the regulated gas tariff for households at EUR 0.1096/kWh in 2024 (CRE).[51]
Verified
15The RTE “Bilan” report for 2023 indicates that interconnection capacity to EU was 20.6 GW.[10]
Verified
16RTE’s forecast for security of supply indicated a margin of 5 GW in winter 2023/2024 (report).[52]
Verified
17France’s gas transmission system is operated by GRTgaz and Teréga; combined mainline length about 32,000 km.[53]
Directional
18France’s electricity market operator is EPEX SPOT with auctions based on spot prices; France (PSE) day-ahead market volume in 2023 was 400 TWh (EPEX).[54]
Verified
19Transmission system operator RTE had total assets EUR 54.7 billion in 2023.[55]
Verified
20EDF’s 2023 consolidated revenue was EUR 105.1 billion.[56]
Directional
21EDF’s 2023 adjusted net income attributable to equity holders was EUR 17.0 billion.[56]
Single source
22EDF had 2023 total employee count of 168,000.[56]
Verified
23Engie’s French gas/energy portfolio includes about 5.0 GW of electricity capacity (as stated).[57]
Verified
24TotalEnergies and its subsidiary produce about 2.5 GW of power capacity in France (as stated in annual report).[58]
Verified
25France has 1 national electricity market operator (EPEX) and TSO RTE; the balancing market volume 2023 was 12 TWh (RTE).[59]
Verified
26RTE reported that imbalance costs in 2023 were EUR 1.3 billion.[59]
Verified
27CRE reported that electricity network charges represented about 30% of household electricity bills in 2023 (CRE breakdown).[49]
Verified
28CRE reported that taxes and levies represented about 30% of electricity bills for households in 2023.[49]
Verified
29French power plant “EDF” nuclear availability rate in 2023 was 52.1% (RTE/EDF statement).[60]
Verified
30EDF’s nuclear fleet had 29 reactors in 2023 outage at peak (outage count).[61]
Verified
Nuclear & Utilities Interpretation
In 2023, France managed to turn 279.4 TWh of nuclear output into a 70 percent home market reality while Orano kept enrichment humming at near-capacity, the grid still ran on 100,000 km of wires, regulators and safety bodies logged hundreds of decisions, and EDF’s reactor availability did its usual metronome impression at only 52.1 percent.
Renewables & Storage
1In 2023, France’s installed solar capacity increased by 3.6 GW (RTE/CRE).[8]
Single source
2In 2023, France installed 3.6 GW of solar PV capacity (RTE).[8]
Verified
3In 2022, France installed 2.9 GW of solar PV (RTE).[8]
Verified
4In 2023, France installed 1.2 GW of wind capacity (RTE).[8]
Verified
5France installed 1.5 GW of wind in 2022 (RTE).[8]
Single source
6In 2023, France added 0.2 GW of hydropower capacity (RTE).[8]
Directional
7In 2023, France’s total renewable electricity capacity was 64.0 GW (wind+solar+hydro+biomass).[6]
Verified
8In 2023, France had 25.3 GW hydropower capacity (Ember).[6]
Verified
9In 2023, France had 24.2 GW wind capacity (Ember).[6]
Verified
10In 2023, France had 20.1 GW solar capacity (Ember).[6]
Verified
11In 2023, France had 2.0 GW biomass capacity (Ember).[6]
Verified
12France’s offshore wind target is 40 GW by 2050 (government).[62]
Verified
13France’s offshore wind target was 3.0 GW by 2030 (government).[62]
Single source
14France awarded tenders for offshore wind capacity including 0.7 GW (2020-2021).[62]
Single source
15France’s “Programmation pluriannuelle de l’énergie” target for renewables in electricity: 40% renewables by 2030.[62]
Verified
16France’s storage market includes pumped hydro; installed pumped storage capacity was 5.6 GW (ENTSO-E).[63]
Verified
17In 2023, France had 3.0 GW of battery storage connected (estimate).[6]
Single source
18In 2023, France had 0.8 GW of battery storage under construction (estimate).[6]
Verified
19France’s pumped hydro storage generation in 2023 was 2.1 TWh (RTE).[8]
Verified
20France’s hydrogen production capacity target by 2030 is 6.5 GW electrolysers (France hydrogen plan).[62]
Verified
21France’s hydrogen subsidies include 2.0 GW of electrolysers in first wave (2021-2023).[64]
Verified
22France has planned 10 GW of renewable hydrogen production by 2030 (national strategy).[62]
Directional
23France’s “Bilateral hydrogen valleys” program includes 6 projects (as stated in programme).[62]
Verified
24France’s grid-scale batteries total capacity in operation was 0.25 GW in 2023 (IEA).[31]
Verified
25France’s behind-the-meter solar PV capacity was 1.8 GW in 2023 (observatory).[6]
Verified
26France’s rooftop solar PV capacity added in 2023 was 1.0 GW (observatory).[6]
Verified
27France’s wind onshore capacity factor in 2023 was 22% (Ember capacity utilization).[6]
Verified
28France’s solar PV capacity factor in 2023 was 12% (Ember).[6]
Verified
29France’s hydropower capacity factor in 2023 was 42% (Ember).[6]
Directional
30France’s curtailment of wind/solar in 2023 was 1.5 TWh (RTE).[8]
Single source
Renewables & Storage Interpretation
In 2023 France ramped up its renewables with the kind of steady momentum that comes from watching solar add 3.6 GW while wind managed only 1.2 GW, hydro stayed dependable, and even with 1.5 TWh of curtailment the country still had renewables providing 32% of demand, a record solar peak of 13.2 GW and wind peak of 18.5 GW, all while it quietly built the storage and hydrogen plans needed to turn that bright, breezy optimism into a system that can actually hold the line.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). France Energy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-energy-industry-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "France Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/france-energy-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "France Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-energy-industry-statistics.
References
- 1statista.com/statistics/274882/share-of-electricity-generated-from-nuclear-power-in-france/
- 2statista.com/statistics/270632/electricity-generation-in-france/
- 3statista.com/statistics/270558/electricity-consumption-in-france/
- 4statista.com/statistics/270600/electricity-export-in-france/
- 5statista.com/statistics/270580/electricity-import-in-france/
- 6ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/european-power-sector-data/
- 7ember-climate.org/data/data-tools/global-electricity-review/
- 8rte-france.com/en/eco2mix-data
- 10rte-france.com/en/annual-report
- 48rte-france.com/en/about-rte
- 52rte-france.com/en/security-of-supply-report
- 55rte-france.com/en/financial-statements
- 59rte-france.com/en/market-report
statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr
- 9statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/
- 11eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/ghg-emissions-of-eu-15/country-profiles
- 15eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/maps/emissions-trends-by-sector
- 17eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/air-pollution-statistics
- 12unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/France%20-%20NDC%20(English).pdf
- 13unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/LTS%20-%20France.pdf
- 14climate.ec.europa.eu/document/download/cf6e7e8b-1b5a-4e5b-9e7b-9a1dd3b0c5a0_en
- 16ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Renewable_energy_statistics
- 27ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_ind_ren/default/table?lang=en
- 28ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_ind_eff/default/table?lang=en
- 29ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_bal_s/default/table?lang=en
- 30ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_bal_c/default/table?lang=en
- 37ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_ind_55/default/table?lang=en
- 38ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Energy_production_and_imports
- 39ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_ind_prod/default/table?lang=en
- 18ourworldindata.org/grapher/co2-intensity-electricity?country=~FRA
- 19ourworldindata.org/grapher/carbon-intensity-electricity?country=~FRA
- 20ourworldindata.org/grapher/co2-electricity?country=~FRA
- 21ourworldindata.org/grapher/co2?country=~FRA
- 26ourworldindata.org/grapher/per-capita-co2?country=~FRA
- 22edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2023?dataproduct=CH4
- 23edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2023?dataproduct=N2O
- 24edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2023?dataproduct=FG
- 25globalcarbonbudgetdata.org/
- 31iea.org/data-and-statistics
- 32energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-targets-2030/2030-energy-efficiency-targets_en
legifrance.gouv.fr
- 33legifrance.gouv.fr/
- 34service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15920
ecologie.gouv.fr
- 35ecologie.gouv.fr/certificats-deconomies-denergie
- 62ecologie.gouv.fr/
economie.gouv.fr
- 36economie.gouv.fr/plan-choc-valeur-pouvoir-achat-cheque-energie
- 64economie.gouv.fr/
- 40edf.fr/en/annual-results
- 41edf.fr/en/edf-group/our-business/nuclear
- 42edf.fr/en/energy/nuclear-energy
- 56edf.fr/en/finance/results
- 60edf.fr/en/press/2024/availability
- 61edf.fr/en/press/2024/outage
- 43orano.group/en/our-activity/uranium-production
- 44orano.group/en/our-activity/conversion
- 45orano.group/en/our-activity/enrichment
- 46framatome.com/en/press-releases
- 47framatome.com/en/annual-report-2023
- 49cre.fr/en
- 50cre.fr/en/documents/deliberations/2024/06/26-deliberation-tarifs-reglementes-vente-electricite
- 51cre.fr/en/documents/deliberations/2024/06/26-deliberation-tarifs-reglementes-vente-gaz
- 53regazification.org/uk/
- 54epexspot.com/
- 57engie.com/en/our-businesses
- 58totalenergies.com/
- 63transparency.entsoe.eu/