A new French preliminary energy bill that favours the further development of nuclear power and avoids setting targets for renewables is to go before the council of ministers early next month and then be submitted to lawmakers.

The bill reaffirms France’s commitment to nuclear power to ensure “energy sovereignty”.

It affirms “the sustainable choice of using nuclear energy as a competitive and carbon-free” source of electricity, and targets the construction of at least six but as many as 14 new reactors as part of the country’s transition to clean energy and meet climate change goals.

The proposed text sets no such targets for building renewable capacity, in particular wind and solar, whereas previous energy laws did. The Ministry of Energy Transition said the government will set renewables targets later.