France’s nuclear bet is a ‘risky move’

President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that France would invest €1bn in nuclear power by 2030 — betting on favorable public opinion in the midst of an energy crisis and the pressing need to cut carbon emissions.

Max Zhang is a sustainable energy systems expert at Cornell University’s College of Engineering and a faculty director at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Zhang says France is taking a risk by investing in nuclear power and that public opinion can quickly sway against it.

Zhang says:

“History has proven that public opinion can shift quickly against nuclear energy in the event of any nuclear accidents. I hope no future nuclear accidents occur but relying on nuclear energy to address the climate challenges is a risky move.

“There is an old saying in France about nuclear energy: ‘No oil, no gas, no choice.’ France does have a choice to invest in renewables and energy storage. In my opinion, nuclear energy should be in the clean energy mix but should not be prioritized over renewable energy generation.”

 

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