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IEA highlights investment needs for France's proposed energy reforms

PARIS, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- France's proposed reforms in its energy sector, which would reduce the share of nuclear energy in the power mix, would require "significant investments in energy-efficiency" and low-carbon sources of energy and would imply a major transformation in the sector, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday.
The review of French energy policies did praise France's steps to reduce high-carbon supply sources and to pursue greater energy efficiency in the past decade. But it signalled that further steps to reduce the share of nuclear power from 78 percent currently to 50 percent in the energy mix by 2025 are challenging, given the concomitant goal of reducing greenhouse emissions by 40 percent in 2030.
"The IEA praised France's leadership role in climate change mitigation and green finance around the world and at home," the report said.
But the Paris-based Agency "found that the government's plan to cut the share of nuclear power...will require significant investments in energy efficiency and new low-carbon generation," it added.
France will have to implement "nothing less than a transformation of its energy system and power market," the IEA remarked, adding that this "ambitious goal...will require careful policy guidance, effective markets and strong measures for renewables and energy efficiency." In view of ongoing evaluations of the French nuclear energy sector and the safety and other considerations for plants, "the next ten years will be decisive for the country's capacity to meet its climate and energy goals and...maintain electricity security," the IEA indicated. (end) jk.mt