France Breaks Electricity Export Record in 2025. RTE Sees Opportunity for Electrification

France maintained its position as a key electricity exporter in Europe in 2025, breaking its own record. According to the annual balance published on February 25, 2026, by the transmission system operator RTE, the country exported a net 92 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity. This is slightly more than in the record-breaking year of 2024. RTE's CEO, Xavier Piechaczyk, emphasized in an interview with "Le Monde" that this export "represents significant value for the French economy." The high level of net exports continues even though domestic electricity consumption remains lower than before the pandemic – according to RTE, by about 6% compared to the 2014-2019 average. In the heavy industry sector, this decline was even more pronounced, reaching 13%.

For decades, France has been a key player in the European electricity market, basing its energy mix largely on nuclear power, which historically accounted for over 70% of production. The level of energy exports is closely linked to the availability of power from nuclear plants, a decline in recent years, for example due to maintenance work or corrosion, has led to limitations. Following the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, supply security and energy sovereignty have become priorities for European Union policy. RTE's analysis indicates that the current high level of exports is partly a result of low domestic demand, which frees up surplus capacity. The decline in consumption, noted in 2025, partly stems from persistent energy-saving behaviors by households and businesses after the 2022 energy crisis and from milder winters, which reduced the demand for electric heating. Exports therefore compensate for lower revenues for domestic producers from sales on the internal market. At the same time, RTE sees a unique opportunity in this situation. According to the operator, current market conditions are ideal for accelerating the country's electrification. „„Les conditions sont réunies pour accélérer l'électrification de la France”” — RTE, via Le Figaro. The operator points to three key factors favoring this process: the competitive prices of French energy on the European market, its low-emission character resulting from the dominance of nuclear and renewable sources, and the overall abundance of available capacity in the system.

92 TWh — Net electricity exported by France in 2025 The increase in domestic energy consumption that RTE expects in the coming years is expected to result from two trends. First, the recovery of industrial activity, which is slowly returning to normal. Second, and more importantly, the replacement of natural gas and fossil fuels with clean electricity in the transport, heating, and industrial process sectors. This process, crucial for decarbonization of the economy, however, requires stable and affordable electricity supplies. For the stability of the energy system, it is essential that this expected increase in domestic consumption goes hand in hand with investments in new generation capacity, especially in renewable energy sources, and the modernization and expansion of transmission and distribution grids. RTE emphasizes that maintaining the competitiveness of French energy on the European market will depend on the ability to meet this future, higher domestic demand, while not abandoning its role as an exporter. The 2025 balance shows that despite the challenges of recent years, the French energy system, based on nuclear power, still has significant reserve capacity that it can sell abroad, generating revenue and supporting the energy security of its neighbors.