6 billion including 500 million for renewable energy

Faced with unprecedented speculation, the Government published this morning new tariffs for the purchase of solar by EDF electricity, while changing the rules for the delivered projects in recent months, learned from sources close to the record. All requests for purchase of electricity made effective from November 1, which have not been followed by a request for connection to the grid at the date of January 11, 2010, will be cancelled. They will have to be renewed on the basis of the new tariffs made public today.

In anticipation of lower prices of redemption, of many speculators indeed flocked to file folders from EDF. Thus, in November and December, the electrician has received approximately 3,000 cases per day, against an average of 5,000 a month this summer. Almost all of these applications were the rates of purchase to 58 cents per kilowatt hour, the highest in the world.

To protect the purchasing power of the French, the State had no choice to cancel them. These contracts are valid twenty years. If all filings in November and December had been accepted, they would have caused to them only a charge of EUR 2.8 billion per year, or EUR 56 billion over 20 years! To deal with, should increase from 10 to 11 each French electricity bill! The difference between the acquisition by EDF of photovoltaic electricity price and the market price of electricity (from 5 to 6 eurocents per kilowatt-hour) is indeed filled by a tax, contribution to the public service of electricity (CSPE), paid every two months by every consumer of electricity. Today-such, it amounted to EUR 1.6 billion, including 500 million for renewable energy.

Speculation in recent weeks came essentially from projects of large size, installed on buildings that had not even received their permits to build! If all late 2009 filings had been accepted, the objectives of the Grenelle environment projected for 2020 were already achieved.

All projects which will be tabled today will be based on new tariffs. Tariffs with "integration in the frame", i.e. in which the solar panels provide a sealing function will now reserved to dwellings and existing professional buildings, in two parts. A first rate from 58 euro cents per kilowatt hour for homes, schools or health buildings and a second of 50 cents for other buildings (offices, industrial or agricultural sites).

Some irritation

Facilities with "simplified building integration", in which the solar panels are simply laid on the roof, will benefit from a lower rate of 42 eurocents per kilowatt hour. It aims to put an end to speculation become massive in the agricultural sector. It may raise some irritation. Thus, last week, the Fédération nationale bovine had already determined that the draft decree of the Government was "a blow to the livestock" and would call into question "the profitability of ongoing investment projects".

Finally, the ground facilities can always rely on a 31.4 eurocents per kilowatt-hour tariff, which will be modulated according to the sunlight of the regions. This provision was the subject of lobbying particularly important of EDF Energies Nouvelles. The Government, it aims to achieve a better distribution of solar power plants in the national territory.