French solar, wind power sectors await major environmental conference in France

Sep 13, 2012 – The French solar and wind power sectors, which have recently been facing problems, await impatiently the start, at the end of this week, of an environmental conference called by French ecology minister Delphine Batho.
The conference is important because it gives sector players an opportunity to learn what measures the government intends to implement in order to support the two sectors.
There are measures that may need only small periods of time to be applied, Jean-Louis Bal, president of French renewable energy union SER, said, quoted by French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur.
The situation has worsened particularly for the solar power industry due to the combined effects of the economic crisis, the existing regulation in France and the competition from Chinese groups, accused recently by Brussels of dumping.
Although faring slightly better than the photovoltaic industry, the wind power sector also faces some setbacks. For example, new plug-ins to the national power grid plunged by 58% on the year in the first half of 2012.
Sector players now expect the government to launch this weekend the second offshore wind power tender. The tender will concern the construction of two wind farms, located off the coast of Treport in northwestern France and Noirmoutier in western France, according to a business source.
Asked by agency AFP, the French minister of ecology declined to comment on the information.
French renewable energy groups have demanded that the government ease some administrative procedures and regulations so that setting up new capacities may become easier.

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