Emmanuel Macron brings together at the Élysée “the French Electricity Team”, a collection of actors and companies who will present solutions to support and facilitate the electrification of France.
We know, the executive wants accelerate the electric shift of the French economy. Emmanuel Macron brings together today at the Élysée “the French electricity team”made up of companies from different sectors – energy, distribution, construction, etc. – but also the managers of the electricity transmission and distribution networks RTE and Enedis, and federations such as the Federation of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Industries (FIEEC), and responsible for bring electrification into a new concrete phase. Two “company pacts” must be signed on this occasion.
At the same time, the companies that install energy equipment in buildingselectrify factories or connect power stations to the network are committed to to hire “12,000 people and 3,000 apprentices per year“ to carry out the electrification plan that the government must present.
The electrification of the country, a thirty-year program
For the executive, the issue goes far beyond just the ecological transition. The objective is also to strengthen the country’s energy independence andsustainably install electricity at the heart of the French economy. “There is room to massively increase electricity consumption, to be energy independent“, explains the Élysée. The government now wishes to pass “concrete trajectories” by highlighting immediately accessible solutions for individuals and businesses.
For households, players in the sector must in particular present devices to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles orelectrification of heating. For manufacturers, it is about supporting the decarbonization of vehicle fleets, heavy goods vehicles and even production tools.
The executive cites in particular the initiative recently unveiled by EDF: a 240 million euro plan intended to accelerate the switch to electricity for low-income households and small businesses and to support the installation of activities that consume a lot of electricity, in particular data centers. © Magnific
Electrician? A job with a future!
Behind this ambition, the government and manufacturers know that an immense human and technical project is underway. “The electrification of the country is a thirty-year program“, summarizes Michel Gioria, the general director of Serce, the professional union which brings together 260 companies and nearly 140,000 employeesranging from behemoths like Equans (Bouygues) to Vinci Energie, including Eiffage Energies, Spie or SMEs and VSEs responsible forintegrate electrical equipment into buildingss, infrastructure or transport.
And the needs will explode next year. “From 2026, we will hire electricians throughout France“, announces Michel Gioria. Recruitment must be done in conjunction with vocational high schools and vocational baccalaureate courses specializing in electricity. Companies in the sector have already provided technical equipment to around 150 vocational high schools in order to strengthen the practical training of students. The objective is toattract more young people to careers related to high voltage, electrical networks and high-power installations.
We talk a lot about the professions that AI should make disappear, but here is one that it will struggle to replace for a long time: electrician – just like plumber, among others. The sector is recruiting massively throughout France, and it is not about to stop. © Magnific
Ports, agriculture, data centers: electricity will prevail everywhere
The planned transformation now affects all sectors of the economy. Port infrastructure must be equipped with electrical terminals capable of powering ships at dock in cities such as Marseille, Saint-Nazaire, Le Havre or La Rochelle.
The network will also have to absorb the connection of agricultural greenhouses in Brittany, new industrial sites or even data centers in Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, including the energy needs are exploding with the development of artificial intelligence and digital technology.
The government has a clear objective: to increase the share of electricity in final energy consumption from 27% in 2024 to 34% in 2030, then to 38% in 2035.
For manufacturers in the sector, the movement is only just beginning. “It’s a profound journey of transformation that will last 25 or 30 years“, insists Michel Gioria.
