French Scientists Warn on Future Energy Supply Crisis
According to a recent study, France’s projected 2050 energy mix will fall short of meeting the needs of an industrialized, digitally connected society.
Could France — and other EU countries — soon find themselves plunged into darkness? Forced, if not to light candles, then at least to drastically curb their electricity use?
It’s hard not to recall that now-infamous moment when France’s then–Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire appeared in a turtleneck, offering “energy-saving fashion advice” to the French public. At the time it seemed like political theatre. Today, it feels like foreshadowing.
A team of French scientists has studied just how resilient Europe’s energy systems really are. Their chosen yardstick: the Energy Return on Investment (EROI), a key indicator of how much usable energy a system produces relative to the energy required to build, operate, and maintain it — including everything from mining raw materials to decommissioning and recycling infrastructure. In short, EROI tells us whether an energy system is energetically sustainable over its lifetime.