France posted a new daily peak in electricity exports, reaching a high not seen since 2019. On December 22, the country transmitted 18.68 gigawatts of electricity to its neighboring states, according to BFMTV. This figure surpassed the prior record set in February 2019, when exports hit 17,415 megawatts. The media outlet notes that favorable weather conditions and the early restart of several nuclear reactors contributed to this remarkable export surge.
In contrast, France recorded its largest import levels of electricity in 2022. That pattern shifted early in 2023, however, as wind generation began to play a larger role, climbing from about 10% of the energy mix to roughly a quarter. This shift helped rebalance supply and demand dynamics across the grid.
Earlier discussions noted a winter production target for France’s nuclear fleet, with officials noting a minimum output level necessary for winter reliability. While concerns about winter resilience persisted, the actual generation in the period described hovered around 40 gigawatt-hours, with CRE president Emmanuel Vaŕgon outlining a plan to reach about 45 GWh of production by January 2024. The evolving mix of power sources, including the growing contribution from wind and the steady role of nuclear capacity, highlights the ongoing effort to stabilize Europe’s electricity system amid seasonal and weather-driven variability.
These developments illustrate how weather patterns, reactor availability, and regulatory strategies interact to shape daily energy flows across the region. They also underscore the importance of maintaining a flexible, diversified energy portfolio to accommodate peaks in demand while preserving grid reliability. As European energy dynamics continue to evolve, analysts will watch how export and import balances respond to shifting weather patterns, reactor outages, and the pace of new capacity coming online. The broader context includes ongoing discussions about energy security, cross-border transmission capacity, and the interplay between renewable growth and traditional baseload generation.