France struggles to balance renewable energy supply and demand, with record curtailment levels

France has doubled renewable energy curtailment in the first half of 2025, with solar and wind producers holding back 2 terawatt-hours of generation due to a mismatch between supply and demand. The curtailment for the solar sector tripled to 1.2 terawatt-hours, while 10% of solar generation and 8% of wind was held back. This may fuel a political controversy over the pace of renewable growth, as the government seeks to shift power demand to times when photovoltaic output is abundant.

France has doubled renewable energy curtailment in the first half of 2025, with solar and wind producers holding back 2 terawatt-hours of generation due to a mismatch between supply and demand. The curtailment for the solar sector tripled to 1.2 terawatt-hours, while 10% of solar generation and 8% of wind was held back [1].

The grid operator RTE reported that renewable producers were forced to hold back almost twice as much generation in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier. This is largely due to higher solar capacity and sunnier conditions, which have driven the growth in renewable energy generation. However, the increase in renewable generation has outpaced demand, leading to a significant amount of wasted power-generation potential.

The government is seeking to shift power demand to times when photovoltaic output is abundant, as the fluctuations in renewable generation are forcing Electricite de France SA to increasingly dial down nuclear output and making it harder for the network operator to balance supply and demand [1].

The surge in curtailment could also pose a risk to the security of the grid, as swings in generation need to be properly managed to ensure a good supply-demand balance in real time. Grid operators are hyper-aware of the risks around power-frequency disturbances after an incident in Spain that led to a nationwide blackout [1].

The French power market has also been affected by the windy weather, causing power prices to slump and widening the discount with Germany. The French month-ahead contract fell as much as 3% to €45 per megawatt-hour, the lowest since July 1, while the German equivalent rose 1.6% to trade as high as €80.79 per megawatt-hour on Monday [2]. The spread between the two contracts has jumped to the highest level since early July, as France experiences unusually windy weather.

However, the France-Germany spread is expected to tighten if hotter weather returns, as scorching weather would drive up cooling demand while also reducing French nuclear output [2].

Overall, the grid operator is not worried about power availability this summer due to subdued demand and good availability across generators. The government and grid operators are working to address the mismatch between supply and demand to ensure the stability and security of the power grid.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-22/france-renewables-curtailment-doubles-on-supply-demand-mismatch
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-21/french-power-slips-on-wind-surge-deepening-discount-to-germany