Emmanuelle Wargon, president of the Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), said that political interpretations of the CRE's recent report on the full cost of the French electricity system are expected. The report highlights that renewable energy sources (ENR), such as wind and solar, have a positive impact on the electricity network even when public support costs are considered. According to the report, the growth of renewables has contributed to lower electricity prices, although it has also reduced the revenues of electricity producers, particularly EDF, the main French electricity company. The CRE analyzed past electricity markets and found that without the new solar and wind capacity installed between 2020 and 2025, the price of electricity in 2025 would have been about 20 euros per megawatt-hour (€/MWh) higher, reaching 80 €/MWh instead of the actual 60 €/MWh. Consumers benefit from the widespread use of renewables, with the CRE estimating 8 billion euros in savings in 2025. While renewables bring costs to the electricity grid through public support and network adaptations, these are estimated at 3.5 billion euros. The overall cost-benefit analysis is therefore positive. The production cost of renewables is very low, sometimes nearly zero, as they rely on sunlight or wind to generate electricity. This reduces the need for more expensive production methods, which in turn lowers wholesale electricity prices. This price reduction affects other power plants, particularly nuclear reactors that do not have guaranteed prices. Emmanuelle Wargon acknowledged that while the system can still accommodate more renewables, this may challenge EDF's financial model and its ability to fund investments. The CRE investigated how much renewable energy capacity could increase without jeopardizing the entire electricity system. In a simulation where electricity consumption remains constant, the current solar and wind capacity could increase by 50% before the additional system and state costs exceed the savings from lower prices. However, the issue of deploying renewables is not only about cost but also about their value within an electricity system where periods of overproduction are becoming more frequent. As renewable capacity increases, it risks lowering prices at the very moment of production. In 2025, the total cost of the French electricity system, according to the CRE, reached 55.9 billion euros, with 40 billion euros allocated to production and 15.9 billion euros to networks. Renewable energy sources, excluding hydropower, cost 12.6 billion euros. Producers received 42.3 billion euros in revenue, with 35 billion euros from wholesale markets and 6.2 billion euros from public supports. There are questions regarding whether the CRE revised its assessment of the cost of renewable energy for the electricity grid at the request of the government. According to Les Échos, the conclusions of the report may have been "sweetened" after exchanges with the government during the summer. The CRE denied any modifications to the report following discussions with the Ministry of Energy, while the ministry confirmed having exchanged with the CRE on the report's conclusions without asserting having requested a re-reading or modification.