A mega-investment of 330 million euros to build a large hydraulic dam on the Rhône near the Bugey nuclear power plant, in Ain, and thus produce 140 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, or the consumption of 60,000 inhabitants . This is the promise of the project of the Compagnie nationale du Rhône (CNR), the leading producer of hydraulic energy in France.
The public debate on the construction of this structure, with a fall of 6 meters and a reservoir of 20 million cubic meters, opens this Friday, December 1. Among the opponents, the Stop at the Rhonergia Dam collective denounces the “financial waste, the deterioration of water resources, the concreteization” of such a project.
Hydroelectricity has a very special place in France. It is the first source of renewable energy in the country. In 2022, it represented around 40% of French gross renewable energy production, followed closely by wind power, with 33%. Photovoltaic solar came far behind: it only accounts for 18% of this mix.