It inferred the transfer price of coherent nuclear with the average level of the Tartam

The conditions for access to historical nuclear of competing electricity suppliers of EDF is linchpin of the implementation of the Act, Nome. Once the Act has set the principles for determining the volumes of nuclear energy which can claim these different suppliers, the transfer of kilowatt hours at issue price appears as the parameter central regulation of this new organization of the electricity market.

This regulation must reconcile three imperatives: to allow an effective opening of the market, does not induce brutal breach of the conditions of the final customer access to electrical energy, give to EDF funding capacity necessary for performance optimization and extension of life of its nuclear fleet.

Let's start with the third point. EDF is today engaged in a large-scale operation: the extension of the lifetime of nuclear power plants which provide more than three-quarters of the electrical energy produced in France and are the key to the competitiveness of French electricity factor. Extend the life of existing plants, in strictest compliance with the requirements of security, of a decade at least, beyond of forty years initially selected is, without doubt, a very sound investment. Optimal conditions during.

However EDF with respect to its activity on the national territory, turn this decisive phase in its history in extremely tense financial conditions. The level of the regulated tariffs was in mid-2010, in nominal, the same as at mid-1994, while at the same time, the cost of maintenance operations has evolved significantly faster than inflation. In these circumstances, only current maintenance expenditure could be assured; some heavier expenses had to be delayed. It is therefore excluded that the transfer price may now be set at a level that compete heavily with bottom-set regulated rates clearly too low on the financing of nuclear power needs, which must cover the extension, dismantling and the extinction of the debts in respect of this "historic park"....

But what price hold in the immediate future This is where the second imperative: not to introduce brutal breakdown of prices for the consumer: issue as a priority for consumers, who have exercised their eligibility, receiving today Tartam (transient regulated tariff of market adjustment), since this tariff must disappear at the date of promulgation of the decrees of the Nome Act. This is why Parliament has decided to determine, on a transitional basis, the transfer price of nuclear power in line with the price of energy in the Tartam, somewhat above prices, identical consumption profile to those of the regulated tariffs.

To ensure this consistency, can reason across customer Tartam, calculate the total quantity of nuclear history to which it opens right and complete this supply of base, in the logic of the Nome Act, by a supplementary price supply the market. It inferred the transfer price of coherent nuclear with the average level of the Tartam. It is this reasoning which leads today EDF to advocate a transfer price of at least 42 euros per megawatt-hour.

But if this reasoning is valid on average, what is in each particular case There is no doubt not concern upheaval because average consistency with the Tartam will be indeed modulated by a proportion of variable nuclear energy following the curve to support the affected clients, so that, for the majority of them, prices from the current situation should not exceed 1 euro or 2 per megawatt hourmore or less.

Finally, with regard to the opening of the markets, the disappearance of the Tartam opens approximately 70 terawatt-hours (or 24 of the consumption of non-residential sites) competition, doubling the volume of sales outside regulated rates. This is probably sufficient to make the learning of the implementation of the Nome until the disappearance of the green rates Act and yellow, late 2015, and the adjustment of the tariff blue under the provisions of the Act.

However, we understand that there is still some discussion on the transfer price proposed by EDF. Our belief is that, if in doubt, it is of general interest to arbitrate for the financing of the performance and optimization of the extension of the nuclear tool life.