Energy is a strategic sector for the economic life as well as for the independence of a country. The State, all over the world, intervenes to ensure the security of supplies and to ensure that companies and households have access to them at prices that do not affect their competitiveness and protect their purchasing power. The sector is also essential for the environment. The production and consumption of the various forms of energy must limit as much as possible the release of particles that are harmful to the health of the inhabitants living in the vicinity as well as the emissions of greenhouse gases that affect the climate.

France has long been a model. No longer having fossil fuel resources, the country has built vast hydroelectric dams and a nuclear fleet capable, in 25 years, of supplying nearly three-quarters of electricity needs. In 1990, it was one of the countries in the European Union with the lowest level of CO2 emissions, despite opposition from environmental movements that were strongly opposed to the nuclear industry and had already, but unsuccessfully, campaigned against the construction of some dams.

This policy has reduced the volume of oil and gas imports and reduced energy bills during periods of sharp increases in fossil fuel markets. Above all, it has protected France from the consequences of over-dependence on its suppliers, a dependence that can, as Germany has experienced since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prove to be extremely penalizing. It has generated growth, direct jobs during the construction of power plants and indirect jobs by contributing to the competitiveness of industrial sectors that consume a lot of electricity, such as aluminium production. The construction of the Dunkirk plant in 1988 was one of the most significant examples.

Unfortunately, these major strategic choices were called into question at the end of the 90s under pressure from environmental movements. The EPR, which had been certified by the Safety Authority, will not be ordered for ten years and the nuclear industry will be weakened. When the orders in Finland and Flamanville come in, the loss of skills will affect the completion of the projects with longer deadlines and considerably increased costs. Nuclear power will lose its credibility in the eyes of many French people who had supported this choice. The announcement, a few years later, of the reduction to 50% of its share of electricity production was followed by another absurd decision: the closure of the Fessenheim power plant, under pressure from Germany while the authorizations of the Safety Authority were still valid.

Fortunately, in 2022, a new turnaround occurred with the commitment to order between 6 and 12 new reactors in the coming years. But the damage was done and the sector is still struggling to reconstitute the competent teams essential to carry out these projects. Throughout this period, the State had based its new energy policy on the development of renewable energies. He had granted only modest means to encourage households to reduce their energy consumption and he had supported Brussels' decisions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and banning internal combustion engine vehicles in 2035.

The State has taken the wrong path by granting significant funding to ineffective policies contributing to widening public deficits, Wind and solar energies do not correspond to France's electricity needs for several reasons. First, they result in imports since none of the materials used are produced on the national territory. Secondly, they are intermittent, which means that sources of production capable of meeting demand must be available at all times. What is the point, when we have carbon-free production tools, of building new ones?

Secondly, these modes of production are not only intermittent but volatile. Sudden fluctuations occur that must be able to respond by controlling the other production tools immediately, which can destabilize the distribution network and cause outages, as Spain has just tragically experienced. Finally, the development of wind farms and solar panels requires costly investments in the grids that are added to the construction costs of these new means of production.

Conversely, while the insulation of buildings and the switch to electricity in housing meet all the criteria since fossil fuels are saved, the resources allocated have been both insignificant and unstable. The regulations giving access to aid are constantly changing. The same criticism can be made about the motorization of private vehicles. Consumers are reluctant and, if the timetable set by Brussels is maintained, this will have very serious consequences for the car industry and employment, because, as with solar panels, the lead of Chinese or American manufacturers will be almost impossible to fill. One could add that since the causes of global warming are global, it is paradoxical, to say the least, that the good European students are sacrificing their industry for the benefit of the two main polluters on the planet.

Under these conditions, a new energy policy is easy to define. All current aid for renewable energies, housing renovation and the acquisition of electric vehicles is being abolished. And they are being redeployed in three directions: reducing the consumption of fossil fuels in buildings, rail freight and preventing the damage caused by climate breakdown.

The State and local authorities must grant credits every year to improve the energy efficiency of the premises occupied by the administrations and to start work without delay. For housing, a simple and stable assistance system must be put in place that takes into account the situation of the occupant (owner or tenant) and the nature of the building (building or single-family house). We could first concentrate this aid on occupied houses, their owner and buildings owned by a single owner (HLM, investor) because carrying out work in a condominium is very complex.

Local pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from road transport are considerable. However, the share of rail freight is constantly decreasing. It now represents only 9% of traffic, compared to 18% on average in Europe and three times less than thirty years ago. A recovery plan aimed at improving infrastructure and reviewing the pricing conditions imposed by the SNCF is essential. Finally, climate degradation results in increasingly costly damage to homes and infrastructure located in the mountains (melting ice), at the edge of the oceans with coastal erosion (rising waters) and along rivers (flooding). Investments must be made to prevent the consequences of these events and reduce their cost.

Energy policy is an essential element in adapting the country to climate change. But in France, it should not focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions because the country is one of the lowest emitters. On the contrary, it must give priority to the security of supply, the competitiveness of the energy produced, the reduction of consumption and to provide sufficient resources to protect the population from the climate breakdown