The two pie charts illustrate the figure for electricity produced by fuel sources – coal, oil, natural gas, hydro power, and nuclear power – in France over a 20-year period, starting in 1990. The data is presented in percentages.
Overall, the proportion of nuclear power for the production of electricity increased significantly over the period, whereas the reverse was true for all other sources, which experienced downward trends, albeit at varying levels. Notably, although natural gas and coal were the highest sources of electricity in 1990, they were surpassed by nuclear power in 2010.
In 1990, similar patterns were observed in coal and natural gas fuel sources, both of which led electricity production, each accounting for 28%. This was followed by oil, at 22%, exceeding nuclear power by 5%, while hydro power contributed the least to electricity generation, at a mere 6%.
After two decades, most of the fuel sources experienced declines in their percentages. The most noticeable downward trends were witnessed in natural gas and coal, falling considerably to 4% and 13% respectively in 2010. Oil and hydro power, moreover, exhibited drops, with the former source declining to the level as coal (13%), while the latter fell gradually by 4% from 6% initially. By contrast, nuclear power showed the opposite trend. The figure for nuclear power increased substantially by 50% in 2010, thereby ending the period at 67%, which remained the highest in electricity generation.