Macron Asks for Lower Electricity Rates for Small Businesses

On Thursday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron Macron demanded that electricity companies renegotiate supply contracts with those companies that have less than ten employees on their payroll.

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“No electricity contract can exceed US$352 per megawatt, which is the top reference price given last year by the Energy Regulatory Commission”, Macron said and considered abusive that electricity tariffs for small companies increase five and tenfold.

"The anxiety and the anguish of small producers for their bills is legitimate. I feel disgusted with the fact that power companies make excessive profits by crisis”, he highlighted, arguing that the energy crunch will never end if these companies continue to take a dishonest and irresponsible stance amid it.

Since the Ukrainian conflict began, regional authorities began to fill their gas reserves without concerted action, which severly increased energy prices.

"In the European Union, we have a botched electricity market in which the price of electricity depends on gas instead of real production costs," Macron lamented, stressing the importance of energy independence.

He recalled that the energy crisis in France worsened during the last months as national nuclear reactors stopped by maintenance problems, forcing authorities to import energy from Germany and Spain.

"Although our producers and companies will have to assume increases in energy prices, we will do everything possible so that difference to pay amid this crisis is modest and reasonable," Macron stated.