France designates 109 communes as pilot zones for nationwide electrification push
The French government has selected 109 towns and intercommunal bodies, covering 14.8 million residents, to serve as initial sites for its electrification programme.
France’s latest energy transition effort targets 6,676 communes, and the government has now identified 109 of them as the first electrification zones, representing almost a quarter of the national population. Selections were made from 196 applications submitted by local authorities and span from Saint-Maur in the Paris-area Val-de-Marne to the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque and rural territories including Corsica.
The programme encourages swapping gas or oil boilers for heat pumps, expanding electric vehicle use and charging infrastructure, and converting municipal fleets and public building heating to electricity. Local officials will work with the state to create detailed roadmaps, to be approved by October 2026, with technical assistance from the agency Ademe. Expected outcomes include up to 15,000 new EV charging points, 110,000 homes switching from gas heating and 130,000 from oil heating, though participation remains voluntary for residents.
Why it matters
It marks a major step in France’s shift away from fossil fuels toward electric energy across households and transport.
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