The French electricity market has recorded nearly 450 hours of zero or negative prices since the beginning of 2026, compared with around 320 over the same period in 2025.
The French electricity market recorded a negative spot price of -€498/MWh on May 1, according to the price observatory of French startup Storio Energy.
The record low was recorded at 13:00 and was followed by -€471/MWh at 14:00. It has been attributed to low consumption linked to the public holiday, combined with reduced flexibility in the nuclear fleet, a phenomenon also observed in April.
For comparison, the lowest price recorded on May 1, 2025, was -€118/MWh.
The spread between the most expensive hour and cheapest hour in France during May reached €141/MWh, a level unprecedented during the month. Storio Energy’s analysis says the indicator did not exceed €100/MWh even at the height of the 2022 energy crisis when the average electricity price was around €200/MWh.
