Marine Le Pen Proposes Surplus Nuclear Power for Crypto Mining

Marine Le Pen visited the EPR site in Flamanville and made a high-profile announcement. According to her, French nuclear facilities operate at around 70% capacity, whereas similar plants in the U.S. run at about 90%. She believes that this reserve should be utilized for cryptocurrency mining to bolster the energy sector’s revenue. Le Pen referred to reducing generation as a “confounding refusal to create value,” emphasizing that every unused megawatt is essentially lost potential.

Preliminary data suggests that increasing the capacity to 90% could bring in tens of terawatt-hours annually, potentially meeting the needs of multiple crypto-mining operators. This, in turn, might position France as a notable European hub for digital transaction validation. Nevertheless, certain analysts warn about increased operational expenses, reactor maintenance, and future modernization efforts.

Despite these concerns, advocates point out the significance of conducting thorough assessments to find a midpoint between nuclear safety and innovative tech growth. Le Pen’s idea has sparked heated conversations among lawmakers and industry experts alike, highlighting potential shifts in both the national energy model and the broader digital economy.