2012 Activity and sustainable development report - RTE

THE WORLD IS CHANGING, SO IS RTEINTERVIEW WITH DOMINIQUE MAILLARD“Our objective is to change for the better, that isan electricity system that’s more reliable, efficient,economical, clean and restrained.”electricity supply and demand in France.It’s one of the French energy system’s keytools for forward planning. The mostrecent edition, which can be consultedon our website, examines a number ofscenarios of changes to the balance of thesystem over a fi fteen-year timeframe.We have also published a ten-year developmentplan for the network, which isconsistent on a European scale withEntso-E’s projects.These documents help inform politicaldecision-making, the energy strategies oflocal authorities, particularly the Frenchregions, and the thinking of ordinary citizens.The regions are responsible for implementingRegional Climate, Air andEnergy Programmes (SRCAE), which settargets for the development of renewableenergy production by 2020. RTE takespart in technical committees tasked withcarrying out these plans, and is alsoresponsible for establishing regionalconnection programmes for the renewableenergy network (S3REnR) on the basis ofthese targets. 2012 saw approval atRegional Prefect level for connectionprogrammes for the regions of Alsace,Burgundy, Champagne-Ardenne and Picardy.Speaking as an operator, the electricitytransmission network is also strategicfor the implementation of the energytransition. Whichever options are chosen,the electricity transmission network andthe management of the electricity systemwill adapt to continue to ensure the reliabilityand quality of electricity supply atall times throughout the country. The newgeographical breakdown of the productioninstallations to be connected is one of thechallenges we are facing. The growingshare of renewable energies in the electricityproduction mix means that we haveto manage variable production. This managementis facilitated and optimised, bothfrom an economic and an environmentalperspective, by the fact that it is backed upby development of the network to ensurethe security of power supply: developmenton a national scale to strengthen solidarityin power supply between regions, but alsothe strengthening of exchange capacitieswith our neighbours to manage flows thatare of increasing variability because of therapid growth of wind and solar energy inmany European countries.With regard to demand, we must encourageflexibility in the consumption of electricityto smooth out consumption peaks. Withresponsibility for ensuring the balanceof the electricity system, RTE can enlistadditional production capacities or requestload shedding in order to deal with a risein demand. This obviously does not havethe same impact in terms of energyconsumption and carbon emissions.But to meet the commitments of theenergy transition, the rate of developmentof the network must keep pace withthat of the new means of production. Itonly takes a few years to complete a projectto install a production site, whereas theadministrative procedures to which we aresubject can extend the construction ofa very high voltage line over a period ofmore than ten years. The commissioningof renewable electricity production sitesas soon as construction is completedrequires a simplification and rationalisationof administrative procedures with respectto the network. The infrastructures package,an ambitious European initiative for strengtheningnetworks, shows that Europe hasfully understood the challenge.WHAT ARE YOUR OBJECTIVESFOR 2013 AND BEYOND?Our objective is to change for the better,that is to have an electricity systemthat’s more reliable, efficient, economical,clean and restrained. We areworking in the framework of an incentiveregulation which encourages us toimprove our performance for the •••RTE | IN LINE WITH THE FUTURE15