Nuclear plant closures represent a touchy topic, as the sector employs thousands of people and renewable energy alternatives struggle to grow fast enough to ensure energy needs are fulfilled. According to France's National Council of Industry, the nuclear sector supports about 220,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.
Hulot will lay out his so-called "green deal" on energy transition in the first half of 2018, he told Le Monde in an interview. "In order to reduce to 50 percent the share of nuclear power, we will have to close a number of reactors," he said, adding that he would detail the exact figure under a multi-year plan to be presented at end of 2018.
Copyright Reuters, 2017