Public Support for Energy Development from French Vineyards

Abstract

In crisis for several years, the European wine industry has an under-exploited energy potential that complements, rather than competes with, wine production. This energy is produced within the vineyards themselves, using wind turbines and solar panels, but also by the vines themselves, by reusing their by-products and residues for the production of biofuels and biogas. The cost and technical complexity of these energy production facilities, as well as the unpredictable revenues they generate, necessitate substantial public support and, more broadly, a unified legal framework, both of which are currently largely lacking. The case of France is particularly interesting because of its ambivalence: it is certainly a European illustration of public support, with European Union law
being implemented there, but also a country that symbolizes public interventionism and, as such, has developed original and innovative mechanisms in more ways than one. Public support for energy in the wine industry is fragmented, hindering its development, sometimes even for the same energy source (solar, wind, biogas, and biofuels derived from vinasse and grape marc). Obstacles to maximizing public support can be identified in European law, national laws, and also in    contracts between energy distributors and project developers. Regulatory solutions, as well as appropriate market mechanisms, could change the situation.
Currently subject to a compartmentalized legal framework, energy produced in and by vineyards represents a neglected solution to both decarbonizing our economies and combating wine surpluses. Technological innovation must now be accompanied by equally innovative legislation!