Context

Immediately after the first oil crisis in 1973, France became 75% dependent on foreign countries for its energy supplies. A major nuclear program was launched. Spread over fifteen years, its dual objective was to achieve 50% energy independence by 1990, and to cover three-quarters of the country's electricity production (i.e. one-third of the country's energy needs) with nuclear power. At the same time, research efforts have been devoted to developing renewable energies such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal power. Non-polluting and inexhaustible, these sources offer the enormous advantage...