2012 Activity and sustainable development report - RTE

JOINT SUCCESSINVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS“Regional development aims to encourage national economic and socialdevelopment, encouraging sources of growth and competitiveness, while helpingto ensure the cohesion of the French regions. The provision of electricity in theregions is essential for their attractiveness.”Emmanuel Berthier, Interministerial Delegate for Regional Development and Economic AttractivenessA REGIONALPLAYERAn instrument of mutual aid between regions, thetransmission network allows the sharing of sources ofelectricity generation in order to deliver to each territorythe electricity that is indispensable for its developmentand to guarantee continued supply in the event of localfailure. The grid constitutes a tool for flexibility and qualityof supply that benefi ts society at large and all the country’seconomic activity, with pricing that is identical throughoutFrance and is independent of the distance of transmission.SHARED SOLUTIONSProjects to expand, upgrade and improve the networkare subject to a broad-based consultation processin the long, medium and short term with all stakeholdersat a national level, sharing the ten-year development planfor the network within the various bodies involved in theconsultation process: the Network Prospects committeeat the CURTE (the electricity transmission network userscommittee) and the Stakeholders Committee (see p. 22);and on a more local level, possibly in the context of localdebates, for instance. RTE takes an active part in devisingregional energy policies (see p. 48), producing regionalconnection programmes for the renewable energynetwork.RTE is very attentive to local and regional authorities. It hassigned partnership agreements with the Association of FrenchMayors, the French Association of Rural Mayors and the NationalAssociation of Elected Representatives of Mountain Areasto strengthen synergies between rural towns and the electricitytransmission network.SUPPORT FOR PROJECTSFor every overhead line project, RTE finances a ProjectSupport Plan to supplement its plans to integrate structuresinto the landscape. Funds amounting to up to 10% of the costof the overhead part of the line can be allocated and they aremanaged under the authority of the Prefect of the Prefect of thedepartment in question. Local authorities can use these fundsto further reduce the visual impact of the structures, finance theburying of existing lines, carry out sustainable developmentinitiatives, promote natural and historical heritage sites orencourage their inhabitants to control their energy demand.Local authorities can also request that a given section of anexisting network be buried underground in order to carry out alocal development project or to protect a particular environmentalinterest. RTE is able to make a financial contribution. Accordingto a scale established by the Energy Regulatory Commission andin application since 1 January 2012, the older the line, •••RTE | IN LINE WITH THE FUTURE 61