Around 10% of the country now faces grid constraints, prompting power distributor Enedis to plan 100 new substations by 2030 to support further renewable energy deployment.
The connection of renewable energy projects to France’s electricity grid has accelerated sharply in recent years, with 6.6 GW of new capacity connected to the distribution network of Enedis in 2025, up from 5.5 GW in 2024 and 4.2 GW in 2023. The growth has been driven largely by solar installations.
“We are seeing development primarily in photovoltaics, mostly in rural areas,” said Cédric Boissier, Enedis’ director of grid connections, during a joint press briefing with French transmission system operator RTE.
Rural areas, where electricity consumption is often lower than in urban centers, have accounted for “roughly two-thirds of renewable energy development” in recent years. This geographic imbalance is creating new challenges for grid management, particularly when it comes to transporting and distributing locally generated electricity, Boissier said.
Enedis has published a map identifying “constrained zones” where grid capacity is becoming limited. These areas, highlighted in red, include parts of the Centre-Val de Loire region, as well as several departments in southwestern and northeastern France.
