The history of electricity in France

In our ultra-connected age, electricity is an integral part of everyday life. Like the telephone, it is essential to the daily activities of households and businesses alike. Many people now see it as a basic necessity, just like water.

From a historical point of view, the use of electricity and related phenomena is still relatively recent. First studied in 1660 in the form of static electricity, it long remained a mystery to the general public, a source of amusement and curiosity. With the many advances in science and in electromagnetism, it was not until the 1870s that electricity really began to become available in France.

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When did electricity arrive in France?

Electricity arrived in France at the end of the 19th century, with a first major public demonstration in Paris in 1881. However, it only spread widely to French homes between 1920 and 1930, thanks to the rural electrification laws.

Electrical conduction was discovered by Stephen Gray in 1729, but it was not until around 1870, some 150 years later, that a genuine electricity industry emerged in France, as part of the industrial revolution that had begun in England several decades earlier. At the time, the steam engine was the country's main source of energy, and it drove the first large-scale production of electricity.

Unfortunately, the production networks were all private. The State had no network to distribute energy across the country. Under these conditions, only consumers located close to the power plants could benefit from it. At the same time, the total lack of regulation of the energy market led to an uncontrolled energy revolution.

The State steps into energy management

France had long accepted its total dependence on foreign countries for oil, but the First World War (1914-1918) led to heavy use of motorised transport. Short of oil, the country had to turn to its allies to meet its energy needs. Energy management then took on a political dimension.

In the 1920s, the use of electricity took a new direction and was adopted on a large scale. This period saw the spread of public lighting and of the first household appliances, as well as a real revolution in communications with the expansion of the telegraph. The State led several public investment policies to strengthen the sector, notably through the construction of large hydroelectric dams.

Electricity consumption in France thus became gradually more widespread, even though it still varied from one area to another depending on how dense the local network was.

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The birth of EDF

Between the end of the Second World War and the 1970s, great progress was made in electricity management in France. In 1946, the nationalisation of electricity and gas production, transmission and distribution companies gave birth to Électricité de France and Gaz de France (EDF-GDF). These companies replaced a patchwork of more than 1,300 private concession holders and later became the driving force of industrial development and the main vehicle for investment in the country's reconstruction.

During this period, the development of hydropower and coal-fired power plants that had begun before the Second World War accelerated considerably. Power plants grew in number and in size, and the network became interconnected.

The State's role in electricity management and its vertically integrated monopoly gradually made it possible to prevent abuses of dominant position by private players.

The oil crisis of the 1970s

The 1970s left their mark not only on the world economy but also on the history of electricity in France. This decade saw the first major oil shock: world oil production came to a sudden halt while the price of a barrel quadrupled. Many countries were affected and tried to adapt to the new energy context.

Denmark, for example, chose wind power and became a pioneer of renewable alternatives. In the United States, the PURPA law of 1978 encouraged the emergence of independent producers and promoted a more diverse range of energy sources.

France faced many difficulties because of its dependence on foreign oil. Several options were considered to secure its energy independence, including renewable energies.

By the end of the 1970s, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) had already made major progress in solar energy, photovoltaics and the chemistry of solar furnaces. The country even had a certain lead over its European neighbours, although good efficiency levels were still a long way off.

With the second oil crisis, which multiplied the price of oil by 2.7 in two and a half years, the authorities had to take major decisions. France chose energy independence by building an industry based on nuclear energy: electricity could now be produced on a large scale from the heat released by fission in the reactors of nuclear power plants.

Electricity in France in the 1980s and 1990s: a major turning point

In the 1980s, several international factors influenced the history of electricity in France. First, the liberalisation of electricity generation around the world drove the development of new technologies, such as the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT). As a result, economies of scale decreased, reducing the effectiveness of public investment in large power plants.

Energy consumption grew significantly across all sectors worldwide. Industrial progress, the development of services and the growing number of household appliances pushed electricity consumption per household to record levels.

By the mid-1990s, this situation led the most developed countries to take new measures. Thanks to scientific progress, they moved towards forms of production closer to where and how people consume. At the same time, developments in electromagnetism made new means of communication possible, with the spread of mobile phones.

From 1996, a period of intense reform began with the first European directive on the internal market in electricity. This directive laid the foundations for the deregulation that followed, as France chose to limit State intervention in the sector.

The main aim of this choice was to promote free trade and boost the economy. Its impact was felt on electricity prices during this period, which fell significantly.

The opening of the markets in the 2000s

From the early 21st century (the 2000s), EDF, until then the country's energy pillar, gradually had to give up its monopoly.

Production and supply were gradually opened to competition from 2000 onwards, and the NOME law (on the new organisation of the electricity market), which came into force in 2011, completed this framework. The networks became the core of the public service: transmission, managed by RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité), covers regional and international exchanges and carries electricity to the vicinity of major consumption centres.

At the same time, new companies and brands entered the market to better meet consumers' expectations and serve them more easily. Production, once centralised, gradually moved closer to where electricity is consumed. An energy ombudsman was also set up to ensure that the rules in the sector are respected.

However, the electricity networks remain a natural monopoly: transmission is run by RTE and most of the distribution network by Enedis, a subsidiary of the incumbent supplier EDF. This is mainly because the State wants to keep control of the constant balancing of the electricity system.

To find out more, read our article « The opening of the electricity markets in France ».

Since the end of the monopoly, the choice of energy offer has become a competitiveness lever. Sirenergies supports you in comparing supplier offers.

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Changing supplier to save money

As mentioned above, the opening of the electricity markets has brought far more players into electricity production across the country. EDF and Engie are no longer the only gas and electricity suppliers in France. There are now many alternative suppliers, some with more attractive and cheaper offers.

Energy supply is nevertheless strictly regulated, in particular by the NOME law and by consumer protection rules such as the Hamon law. Self-generation of electricity from renewable sources such as the sun, wind or biomass is strongly encouraged.

To support SMEs, associations and local authorities in their energy transition, Sirenergies brings its experience and its in-depth knowledge of the market to help them choose the right supplier.

Based on the characteristics of your activity and your needs, we help you compare green and conventional electricity offers and choose the one that suits you. We also advise you on the actions needed to use energy more efficiently, so that you can significantly reduce your electricity bills.

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