France weighs staging large-scale power outage simulation for 2027

According to four anonymous sources, the French government is considering holding a large-scale exercise in the second half of 2027 that would simulate a sudden, widespread power outage across the country. The plans have not been officially disclosed so far.

Who would take part

The simulation would reportedly involve France's grid operators Enedis and RTE, along with several government bodies and ministries, as well as the general staff of the French armed forces. The broad range of participants suggests the drill is being designed as a serious nationwide readiness test.

Why the exercise is being considered

The goal of the exercise would be to assess how state authorities and services would respond to a sudden, large-scale power crisis. Particular attention would be paid to how long it would take to restore electricity, and whether the country could keep critical services — such as hospitals, communications and transport — running during such a crisis.

The decision to consider such a simulation may be linked to recent international events. In April 2025, a major power outage hit Portugal and Spain, while the previous year Poland experienced a large-scale cyberattack targeting its energy infrastructure. The European Union has linked that cyberattack to Russian intelligence services.

A person familiar with preparations for the simulation said its main purpose would be to test the state's readiness and ability to respond to this kind of emergency situation.