After a very catchy title and a preface by the President of the Republic, the authors want to demonstrate that France can play a leading role in the development of energy solutions, allowing it to play its part in its future development.
In the first part, the authors study the energy sources that can enable an energy transition: solar, wind, and hydrogen. The issues of storage and digital technology to streamline their production and use are also studied.
In the second part, the authors make a documented inventory of the main sources of energy worldwide and their recent dynamics, largely dominated by oil, gas and coal. They deplore the scluding shale gas in the United States. The part on rare earths is particularly interesting and less known. The distribution of control and processing, as well as the recycling of the 17 elements, is fascinating. It also includes an analysis of the sovereignty associated with these rare earths.
The third part focuses on France. The authors emphasize in particular the strong part of virtuous nuclear power in terms of ecological transition but also independence. They return in particular to the recent French turnaround towards nuclear power after a period of strong ecological trends. Nuclear power is also an area in which France probably has technological advantages. The authors consider that a change in the relationship to the energy of citizens can combine growth and sobriety. Many companies voluntarily participate in this change. Politicians and citizens must also do more and with consistency in change.
Generally in the fourth part, the authors insist on the need to accelerate the change of uses in the face of climate emergency. They note that France is lagging behind on investments in this area, whether by the public or too many individual initiatives of companies, but also by an insufficient tax incentive for the use of French savings.
In the last part, the authors present 8 ways to succeed in this energy transformation, relatively generic and political, which probably deserve a precise action plan for each stakeholder (politicians, companies, citizens) and probably on a European scale to fight against the two world leaders, the United States and China.
Philippe RODRIGUEZ has experience as an Entrepreneur and François de RUGY was, in particular, Minister of Energy Transition.
Olivier Stephan