French law to drive down energy consumption
(31 May 06) The French government has adopted a decree targeting 54 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy savings over three years, equivalent to 3.6% of national consumption. From July, all suppliers of electricity, gas or heating oil will be required to meet a specific target based on the amount of energy they produce.
Suppliers could achieve savings either through reducing their own energy consumption or by helping their customers acquire more efficient heating and lighting equipment.
In return, they will receive tradable energy saving certificates, also know as white certificates, that will have to be handed over at the end of the period to check their targets have been met.
They will be allowed to fulfil these targets through their own or their customers' energy savings or by purchasing certificates from other suppliers or individuals who achieved energy savings.
Suppliers failing to comply with their obligations will have to pay fines of E0.02 per kilowatt hour.
Energy savings will be calculated according to the life expectancy of various type of equipment. Italy and the UK have already set up similar tradable white certificate schemes.
The target of 1.2% annual savings in national energy consumption is more ambitious than the indicative target of 9% energy savings over business as usual between 2008-2017 set in the EU's new end-use energy efficiency and energy services directive that entered force on 17 May.
Follow-up: See press release.
Published with permission of ENDS Europe Daily
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