The line graph illustrates the electricity production in France from 1980 to 2012, measured in terawatt hours, categorized by four sources: Thermal, Nuclear, Hydroelectric, and Renewables.
Overall, nuclear power prominently dominated electricity generation in France throughout the 32-year period, while renewables consistently contributed the least. Hydroelectric and thermal power showed varying trends over the years.
At the beginning of the period in 1980, thermal power was the primary electricity source at approximately 120 terawatt hours, with nuclear and hydroelectric power close behind at nearly 75 terawatt hours each. Meanwhile, renewables played a minimal role. Nuclear power surged ahead in 1981, surpassing thermal power. Over the years, nuclear power production skyrocketed to a peak of around 430 terawatt hours by 2005. In stark contrast, thermal power plummeted to a mere 50 terawatt hours in 1985 and remained stagnant thereafter.
Hydroelectric power maintained a consistent generation level ranging between 50 and 80 terawatt hours throughout the entire period. Conversely, renewable energy production exhibited a slight increase, reaching approximately 25 terawatt hours by 2012. Even though renewables showed growth, nuclear power decisively stood out as the principal electricity source in France from 1980 to 2012