A prolonged heat wave across Europe is driving up summer power demand, reversing some of the consumption declines that followed the 2022 energy crisis.
In France, scorching temperatures have pushed average electricity demand from April through mid-July to the highest level since 2022, according to ENTSO-E data. The increase is the first year-on-year gain for the period since the crisis, ending three straight years of declines.
Europe has endured weeks of unusually hot weather, with successive heat waves pushing temperatures to record levels and straining power systems. France recorded its hottest day and warmest night on record earlier this month as temperatures climbed above 44C. The extreme temperatures have fueled greater interest in air conditioning on the continent, with France spending €100 million to rush 30,000 units into hospitals by August.
The 2022 energy crisis left a lasting mark on Europe’s power market, with households and factories cutting electricity use in response to soaring wholesale prices. Consumption never fully recovered, even as power prices eased, underscoring the significance of the heat wave in reversing that trend.
French power demand climbed to 52.2 gigawatts on June 25, matching the highest summer peak in at least nine years and pushing consumption into a range more typically associated with the winter heating season, according to RTE data. At the same time, the heat wave has constrained supplies, with EDF cutting output at several nuclear reactors because river water used for cooling has become too warm.
French month-ahead power prices roughly quadrupled since late April to more than €80 a megawatt-hour by the end of June, according to EEX data, and have been elevated so far this month. In the spring, futures had slumped as strong solar generation coincided with weak seasonal demand, but reversed course as forecasts of prolonged heat emerged.
Germany also recorded its highest average electricity demand for the April-to-mid-July period since 2022, while Switzerland reached its highest level since at least 2018, pointing to stronger electricity consumption across parts of Western Europe.
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