Prepare for the worst.
This winter, temporary and localized power cuts or “load shedding” could well occur almost everywhere in France, in the event of a shortage of electricity.
An “unprecedented” situation, according to RTE, manager of the electricity network in France, which has been warning for several months of a “high” risk of tension on the network, particularly at the very beginning of next year.
With a possible cold spell expected in January, combined with nuclear production at its lowest (twenty reactors are shut down out of 56), the electricity network risks not holding up.
Matignon therefore made public this Thursday a circular intended for the prefects to anticipate and prepare the population, businesses and administrations for targeted and time-limited cuts.
The goal: to avoid a “black-out”, a general breakdown with much heavier consequences.
These load shedding operations (of a maximum of two consecutive hours) could be organized as a “last resort” at the request of RTE in parts of departments.
The text, which concerns the metropolitan territory except Corsica, connected to Italy and which has its own electricity production, must ensure that no one is "surprised".
The French will be warned of a risk of cuts three days before, via the emission of a red signal from the EcoWatt platform managed by RTE.
Signal which will still have to be confirmed on D-2.
The EcoWatt platform will also make it possible to know 24 hours in advance (around 5 p.m.) which departments would be affected and which sectors would be concerned.
Such cuts “should not concern more than 4 million customers simultaneously”, according to the Matignon circular, which specifies that one “of the most significant consequences” of these load shedding would be interruptions of mobile and fixed telephone communications.
Only the copper lines, with functional telephone socket in T, can on the other hand “be operational”.
Thus, users without a T socket will no longer be able to reach emergency numbers such as 15, 17 and 18 during these cuts.
In this case, the government advises to call 112, accessible regardless of the operator of the user.
The prefects will have a map of the areas that would not be covered by this number.
Read alsoPower cuts: in the event of load shedding, the telecom and Internet networks will be out of service
Another disadvantage: schools located in an area relieved on the peak of the morning will be closed for half a day so as not to risk ending up without heating, light or alarm.
On the transport side, certain trains, metros or trams may be canceled or interrupted to avoid having passengers stranded in the middle of the track.
On the other hand, the cuts would spare some 14,000 so-called "priority" customers, according to a list drawn up by the prefects listing sensitive establishments, such as hospitals, prisons, fire stations, police stations... Also excluded, "patients with high vital risk" that depend on electrical medical equipment in the home.
Before arriving at load shedding, RTE relies on several levers.
In addition to encouraging sobriety efforts, the manager can activate "interruptibility", by cutting off power to the 14 most electro-tensive players in the country, including large industrialists.
It can also activate a voltage drop of 5% on the distribution network, with little consequence for the user, except for a less bright bulb.