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EDF has actually been making a higher operating profit than Total (on roughly half the sales) for the past 2 years.

So yes thye will be able to finance nuclear plants - but it will cost them more than if they borrowed at the same rate as the French State.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Feb 2nd, 2007 at 09:02:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That sounds vaguely impressive but I don't know about French industry outside of EdF and Alstom. I only know American oil companies had return on investment (or maybe even profit margins) around 45% on Saudi oil sales back in the 70s or 80s. European oil companies must be taxed at a much higher level though since European governments aren't patently insane.

Absent raiding by the Assemble Nationale, EdF's profits are theirs, yes? So the only thing they're missing out on is the opportunity to lend their money to the private sector as they borrow from the public purse. I suppose from a financial perspective, it's all the same thing.

I take it there's no chance whatsoever of France breaking EU rules to give guarantees?

How will they be financed anyways? 20 years or 40? Any news on the transition would be appreciated.

by richardk (richard kulisz gmail) on Fri Feb 2nd, 2007 at 05:36:19 PM EST
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