As more and more countries seek ways of gradually reducing their reliance on oil, what solutions can France contemplate? Should the country favour the development of renewable energy sources or should it opt for nuclear power, which currently supplies 80% of its electricity?
Pierre-René Bauquis offers two possible answers in this article: first, priority should be given to greater efficiency in the use of energy, and this should become a genuine target in all aspects of daily life (especially housing and transport). Secondly, France could reduce its oil consumption, but to do so will mean increasing its reliance on electricity. This in turn, he argues, will mean increasing further its reliance on nuclear power. In particular, France should prepare for the development of "sustainable nuclear power", a position that Pierre-René Bauquis justifies by the fact that today, the nuclear option is the only one compatible with maintaining our energy consumption and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
