Geothermal energy in France. A resource fairly accepted for heating but controversial for high-energy power plants

Philippe Chavot (1) , Anne Masseran (2) , Cyrille Bodin (1) , Yeny Serrano (1) , Jean Zoungrana (3)

1 LISEC - Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Education et de la Communication
2 Crem - Centre de Recherche sur les Médiations
3 SAGE - Sociétés, Acteurs, Gouvernement en Europe

In this chapter, we will see that geothermal energy is guided by dynamics of development that are uneven depending on the region and the nature of the projects. Use of geothermal resources for heating had a major boom following the energy crises of the 1970s, particularly in the Parisian region. High-energy geothermal projects were first developed in the volcanic islands of French overseas territories in the 1980s. Its developments in mainland France are then linked to the energy transition policy implemented in the early 2010s. However, in several regions, opponents point out the risks arising from drilling techniques used to facilitate water circulation in rocks. But criticism is also focused on economic and political aspects. The first part of this chapter reports on the first developments of geothermal energy in France and its links with energy policies. The second part deals with social aspects, evoking the controversies that arose in France from 2014 onwards and the role of consultation mechanisms in these controversial situations.

Mots clés: citizen participation; France; public controversy; energy transition; Deep geothermal energy

Domaines: Sciences de l'information et de la communication

Philippe Chavot, Anne Masseran, Cyrille Bodin, Yeny Serrano, Jean Zoungrana. Geothermal energy in France. A resource fairly accepted for heating but controversial for high-energy power plants. Adele Manzella; Agnes Allansdottir; Anna Pellizzone. Geothermal Energy and Society, Springer, pp.105-122, 2019, 978-3-319-78285-0. ⟨10.1007/978-3-319-78286-7_8⟩. ⟨hal-01845035⟩