France to conduct nationwide power‑outage drill in 2027

The French government plans to stage a large‑scale, sudden power‑outage simulation across the country in the second half of 2027. Grid operators Enedis and RTE, several ministries, and the military will take part to test how quickly electricity can be restored and how essential services can be kept running. The exercise will evaluate stockpiles of generators, medicines, telecom equipment and other emergency supplies, and will inform a draft law the government intends to submit to parliament to improve crisis response.

The drill follows a summer of extreme heat that sparked record wildfires in France and forced the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. Opposition parties have criticised the government for insufficient preparedness, while President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the need for robust contingency plans.