French renewables must join RTE’s balancing market by Dec 2025

France has enacted law n°2025-391, which mandates all electricity generators above 10 MW, including renewables, to join RTE’s balancing mechanism by 31 December 2025. Generators will be required to submit upward and downward bids through the Manual Frequency Restoration Reserve to support real-time system balancing. The mechanism has previously relied on thermal and hydro plants, with minimal renewable participation, especially at distribution level. According to the French government, this reform aims to reduce non-market curtailments and integrate intermittent generation into market operations. The pay-as-bid model remains, with compensation based on submitted activation prices. Operators will need to invest in forecasting, remote activation, and real-time data systems. Many are expected to contract aggregators for compliance. The regulation aligns with EU energy market rules, and oversight will be carried out by CRE, France’s energy regulator.