France forced to cut its electricity production for lack of outlets

In the first half of 2025, France saw an energy paradox: never the production of decarbonized electricity has been so abundant … Nevertheless, and never so much energy has been lost. Nevertheless, According to the balance sheet published by RTE. Meanwhile, the crests, which correspond to voluntary production cuts, wind and solar installations jumped more than 80 % in one year, reaching 2 TWh (Terawatt Hours) between January and June. Nevertheless, This quantity of electricity has been deleted from the network for lack of outlets.

The cause? However, A mixture of low france forced cut its electricity consumption and high low-carbon production. Consequently, After falling during the sanitary and energy and energy crises, the demand remains 6 to 7 % below its pre-Cavid level. Consequently, At the same time. the renewable park continues to grow with solar which now reaches 26 GW (Gigawatt) of installed capacities, ahead of wind (24.6 GW). In the spring, sunny days saw photovoltaic production peak when consumption is the lowest, causing saturation of the network.

Consequence: wholesale prices sometimes plunge under zero. Between January. June, France experienced 363 hours at a negative price, or around 8 % of the time, against 235 over the same period in 2024. These signals encourage producers to reduce the wing. The most recent wind and solar parks, subject to the supplement of remuneration, adapt their production accordingly. But nearly 29 GW of installations (on a total capacity of 51 GW) still benefit from the obligation to france forced cut its electricity purchase. they inject their electricity whatever it costs, accentuating overproduction.

This situation is all the more paradoxical since France remains largely exporting. In the first half of 2025, the net balance of electricity exchanges reached 37.6 TWh, the second historical record after that of 2024. But this abundance is not always overable. since neighboring countries also experience episodes of low-carbon overproduction, which limits the ability of France to sell its excess, in particular on its interconnections with Germany, Belgium and Spain.

France forced cut its electricity

Brutal electricity production stops that weaken the network

The report also reveals a modification of. the distribution of negative prices. Even if these always occur mainly in the spring. during the afternoon and the weekend, these episodes now affect working days: 43 of them experienced at least an hour at a negative price in the first semester 2025, against 21 in the first semester 2024. france forced cut its electricity This evolution testifies to a phenomenon that has become structural. linked to the rise of photovoltaics and the relative weakness of consumption in the middle of the day.

To avoid imbalances, RTE also modulates nuclear and hydraulic production, and mobilizes the “adjustment mechanism” to order decreases. In 2025, the mobilizable wind and solar capacities also quadrupled, but still remain insufficient to manage all surpluses. Brutal stops can even destabilize the network, forcing to develop smoothing procedures.

If this clipped electricity does not produce Co₂, it represents a lost investment and a shortfall for producers. It also reveals a delay in adapting demand. Reason why RTE pleads to move certain uses towards hollow sundas, in order to consume this energy instead of letting it spin. The operator stresses that improving flexibility is now a necessity to absorb these volumes.

From January 2026. new regulatory developments will force all wind farms at france forced cut its electricity sea and renewable energies of a certain capacity to participate in the mechanism of adjustment of production. But the solution will also go through better management of consumption and storage. Without these developments, green electricity may continue to evaporate, compromising both climate objectives and public finances that support these facilities.