The pie charts illustrate the changes in the proportions of five main fuel sources in the electricity production of France in 1990 and 2010. Overall, all fuel sources exhibited significant changes over the 2-decade period. The share of nuclear power experienced a surge, while the reverse was true for the remaining sources: coal, oil, natural gas, and hydropower. Notably, nuclear power saw the biggest shift in its percentage, becoming the dominant contributor by the end. It is also evident that the least proportion of electricity came from hydropower in both years.
Nuclear power and hydropower showed contrasting trends over the two decades. In 1990, 17% of France’s electricity was generated from nuclear power, placing it in third place, and by 2010, the figure saw a surge, soaring by 50 percentage points. With a high figure of 67%, it had become the primary source of electricity, surpassing other fuel types. By contrast, hydropower contributed the least share of electricity consistently. Initially, the amount of electricity generated from hydropower accounted for 6%, and by the end, this share became even more marginal, constituting just 2%.
Coal, oil, and natural gas all, on the other hand, saw considerable declines in their percentages. In the initial year, coal and natural gas, which represented equal levels at 28%, were the main sources of electricity. By 2010, the former declined to 13%, which was equal to that of oil’s (13%) in that year, while the latter exhibited the biggest fall, dipping by 24%, representing a low figure of 4% in that year, which is sevenfold smaller then its own share in 1990. Lastly, oil, which experienced a more moderate decrease, fell from 22% in 1990 to 13% in 2010.