On Thursday 21 December, the European Commission authorised a French aid measure worth €1.3 billion to support the development of flexibility technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels, with the aim of ensuring a match between electricity supply and demand at times of peak demand.
The scheme will be open to operators of demand response and storage units. Beneficiaries will be selected through a competitive procedure.
Operators will be remunerated on condition that they agree to reduce their electricity consumption in the event of peak demand or, if they agree, to supply previously stored electricity if necessary.
The measure will be in force until the first quarter of 2026. The current capacity mechanism will subsequently be modified.
The Commission concluded that the measure was compatible with European state aid rules, and more specifically with Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the 2022 guidelines on state aid for climate, environmental protection and energy. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)