FRENCH GROW WIND

The rest of the world caught up to them in vineculture so they’re getting busy cultivating wind energy.

French wind power potential great: industry group
Muriel Boselli, July 5, 2007 (Reuters)

WHO
Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables (France’s renewable energy industry group), Andre Antolini, head of Syndicat; Jean-Yves Grandidier, head of Syndicat wind;

WHAT
The French see a capacity to grow the country’s wind capacity 12 times to produce 25,000 megawatts.
click to enlarge

WHEN
The Syndicat believes the 25,000 megawatt goal can be reached by 2020.
Synidcat statement July 6.

WHERE
France

WHY
- The 25,000 megawatt goal would substitute for 25 900 megawatt nuclear reactors in the same time period.
- France now gets 80% of its electricity from nuclear energy. Materials costs and bureaucratic ensnarements have slowed the growth of wind. Spain and Germany lead the EU in wind capacity.
- The Sydicat is preparing a list of solutions to be presented in the fall. One: Fix the price of wind purchased by France’s utility giant EDF at 82 euros/megawatt-hour.
- The Syndicat is also backing increases in solar energy, hydropower and biomass. By 2020—Solar: 7,000 MW (currently 30 MW); Hydropower: 27,000 MW (currently 25,000 MW).
as usual, all the Europeans are playing catch up with Germany (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Antolini: "Our target is perfectly feasible…France comes just after the UK in terms of wind power potential…"
- Grandidier: "Wind turbine costs have risen by around 30 percent since 2005 and that is a problem we have to address…"