France’s energy watchdog sees no risk to power supplies until mid-January

There is no risk to power supplies in France until at least mid-January, the head of the country’s CRE energy watchdog, Emmanuelle Wargon, said on Wednesday.

While it is necessary to remain vigilant in case of a drop in temperatures, the fact that French households and businesses have heeded calls to cut their energy consumption is a big help, Wargon told France Inter radio.

The government has set a target of cutting France’s energy consumption by 10% by 2024 from 2019 levels, as part of a wide ranging plan that includes turning off lights and lowering thermostats to avoid power and gas cuts over the winter amid the war in Ukraine.