Sustainable Energy in
Rhône-Alpes

Nursery in passive standard in savoie/photo RAEE-EV

The Rhône-Alpes region lies at the natural crossroads of major national and European axes of communication. This situation makes it a region where diversity is the key-word. This geographic, climatic, sociological and cultural puzzle could be a handicap. Rhône-Alpes has made this its great strength. Considered as a symbol of dynamism in the heart of the European Union, the Rhône-Alpes Region is co-founder of the "Four Motors for Europe" which, with Catalonia, Lombardy and Baden-Wurttemberg, works in the university, scientific, economic, sport and cultural fields.

Rhône-Alpes is one of the regions with the highest birth rates in Europe and its net migration rate is positive. Young people are very much present, and the student population is around 225,000.

It's worth noting that there are 365,000 sites of economic activity in Rhône-Alpes and there are 80,000 active associations. With GDP of more than €145 billion in 2002, Rhône-Alpes produces 9.7% of total French wealth.

Glaciers in the North-East, lavender in the South... once again, Rhône-Alpes proves that it is a land of contrasts.

However, there is a common denominator linking the different territories of the region: the Rhone. The "royal river" runs alongside or crosses the Region's eight Departments (Ain, Ardèche, Drôme,Isère, Loire,Rhône,Savoie and Haute Savoie). As if to prove the importance of water courses in Rhône-Alpes, six of the region's eight Departments bear the name of the river running through them.

Rhône-Alpes borders French regions (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Auvergne, Bourgogne and Franche-Comté), the Italian regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont and the Swiss cantons of Vaud, Valais and Geneva.

Half of the region's surface area (49%) consists of predominantly urban zones, compared with the French average of 41%.

The numerous towns and cities of Rhône-Alpes ensure good interconnection of regional space and the Lyon Metropolitan area is the third-largest in France, after Paris and Marseille.

Similarly, the conurbations of Grenoble and Saint-Étienne both have populations of over 250,000. Five other major towns are scattered over the territory: Annecy, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry, Roanne and Valence. More than half of the territory is at an altitude of over 500 metres and as such is considered to be mountain zone. This particular feature is a fundamental element in the region's character and represents a strong plus factor in its attractiveness. Rhône-Alpes is the only region in France to have glaciers.

An additional piece has to be added to the "puzzle" of Rhône-Alpes: climate. According to meteorologists, there are no fewer than 24 specific climates in our region.

The Regional Council has developed its own strategy for GHG observation and GHG reduction but is also associated to most policies developed by local authorities. The Regional Council implements climate protection plans within their policies, in particular through a specific system: Rhône-Alpes local development contracts, which allows targeted actions according to local specificities. The Regional Council is also associated to policies implemented by other local authorities, in particular "départements" (provinces) and associated communes, through either a financial participation or technical cooperation.

At regional level, Rhône Alpes is a major producer region of electricity, with more than 15 nuclear power plant. There is no problem of shortcuts, as in some other regions (Bretagne, Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur).

Rhône-Alpes owns many refining oil plants, and is linked with direct pipe line from the big harbour of Fos sur Mer (Mediterranean sea).

Natural gas is provided through other pipelines, also linked to the big harbour of Fos sur Mer (Mediterranean sea).

In 2008, the regional primary power production is estimated at approximately 25,3 Mtep, that is more than 18 % of the national primary power production.

About 87 % of this production is constitued by the classic sectors (electricity production of nuclear origin mainly). The renewable energies thus contribute to approximately 13 % of the primary power production on the regional territory.

In 2009, the consumption in region Rhône-Alpes is 64 TWh (terawattheure = 1 billion kilowatts-hours) that is a decline of 2 % by report 2008, fall slightly superior to that observed on the whole France (1,6 %).

In Rhône-Alpes, the electricity production (112,3 TWh) is in decline of - 2,2 % (2,5 TWh) with regard to 2008. This decline is less important than the national trend which is of - 5,5 %.

The production of nuclear power plants in Rhône-Alpes increases, 1,5 % with regard to 2008, contrary to the national trend which falls with 6,8 %.

The production of hydroelectric power plants is it in strong decline, 13,2 % with regard to 2008, against 9,2 % at the national level.

The production of thermal power plants with fossil fuel also decreases, 5,4 % with regard to 2008, contrary to the national trend or this one increases by 3,1 %.

The production of the renewable energies, consisted of biomass, wind energy, and solar energy, increases very strongly, + 20,7 % by report in 2008, while remaining low in absolute value, that is 0,6 % of the total production. At the national level this increase is 39,9 % for the wind energy and 7,5 % for the other renewable energies (biomass mainly).

The SRCAE (Schéma Régional Climat Air Énergie - Regional Plan Climate Air Energy) of the region Rhône-Alpes was officially launched on December 6th 2010 by the Prefect and the President of Region.

The main objectives of the SRCAE are:

• Strengthen the coherence of the territorial action by giving a strategic and forward-looking frame elaborated in the widest dialogue;
• Articulate the stakes and the regional and territorial objectives with the national and international commitments of France in the field of the air, of the energy and of the climate;
• Integrate the problems of the air, the climate and the energy, treated previously in a different way in separated documents (wind plan, regional plan air quality).

The SRCAE will be a strategic and unique document which integrates all the dimensions climate, air and energy by defining orientations on the air quality, the reduction of atmospheric pollutants, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, control of the energy demand, the improvement of the energy efficiency, the development of all the sectors of renewable energies, and the adaptation to the effects of the climate change.

These orientations will serve as strategic frame for local authorities and will have to facilitate and strengthen the regional coherence of the actions engaged by these local authorities.

From January 2011, the elaboration of the project of SRCAE will begin from the works of the technical committee and the workshops, with the support of a consultant in charge of the elaboration of the regional scenarios. These works will last until autumn 2011.

ENNEREG project partner, Rhonalpénergie-Environnement will be involved in testing the scenarios, as the technical structure of the Regional Energy and GHG observatory, and as participant to the 3 workshops.

The Regional Plan Climate Air Energy (SRCAE) of the region Rhône-Alpes was officially launched on December 6^th 2010 by the Prefect and the President of Region.

The European commitments of France in "3*20” must be defined at regional level. Every region of France has to define its contribution to the national objectives according to its own specificities, by elaborating a Regional Plan Climate Air Energy (SRCAE). The objective of this plan is to define the orientations and the regional objectives on horizons 2020 and 2050 in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, control of the energy demand, development of renewable energies, fight against atmospheric pollution and adaptation to climate changes.

The plan is based on:

• A diagnosis on the questions of air quality, renewable energies, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and the vulnerability of the territory in Climate changes
• An exercise of prospective on horizons 2020 and 2050 on these various elements to determine the possible future of the region
• The definition of objectives and orientations ensuing from the previous exercises

Grand Lyon, Lyon, Saint Etienne Métropole, Annecy, Annemasse Les Voirons, Cluses, Echirolles, Grenoble-Alpes-Métropole, Grenoble, Montmélian , Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Chambéry métropole are signatories fo the Covenant of Mayors.