France s socialist presidential hopeful Segolene Royal on Wednesday said the high share of nuclear power in the French electricity mix should be gradually lowered to allow a place for more renewable energy. France is the world s second most nuclear-reliant nation after the United States and nuclear production makes up almost 80 percent of its total power output.

The socialist party holds a primary ballot on Thursday to select their candidate for next year's presidential election and polls suggest Royal will become the official socialist candidate. Royal was environment minister in 1992-1993.

"I find excessive the share of nuclear in the French electricity production," Royal said in a letter answering questions from the French anti-nuclear group "Sortir du Nucleaire". "It is therefore essential to reduce it gradually, in reasonable delays and to diversify our electricity production modes...," she said, adding the share of renewables should reach 20 percent by 2020.

Royal also questionned the need for the new European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), work on which is expected to start in 2007. "I deplore that the decision to build the EPR was taken hastily and without any preliminary debate," she said. Royal also pledged to make the French nuclear sector more open. "All the decisions related to nuclear will be subjected to a public debate fed by undeniable scientific studies," she said.
(Planet Ark, 16/11/2006)