France plans to publish a long-awaited energy decree by the end of the summer, setting out new nuclear and renewables targets, as the US intensifies calls for Eastern Europe to abandon the European Union’s net zero strategy.

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French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced that a working group will hold fresh hearings by the end of May to finalise the roadmap, which has been delayed for more than a year by political divisions between nuclear and renewables proponents. The plan will underpin President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to build at least six new reactors and accelerate renewable energy projects, while ensuring long-term energy security as France’s existing atomic fleet ages.

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Bayrou reiterated support for geothermal, solar, and measured onshore and offshore wind development, while also promoting biofuels and hydrogen in sectors where alternatives to fossil fuels are limited. However, the forthcoming decree must align with a separate energy bill scheduled for debate in June — a bill whose passage is uncertain due to the government’s lack of a parliamentary majority.

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Across the Atlantic, the US is taking a different tone. Speaking at the Three Seas Business Forum in Warsaw, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged Central and Eastern European countries to reject Western Europe’s net zero policies and instead align with the US vision of “energy freedom.” He criticised the EU’s climate strategy as a costly and harmful “top-down imposition” that risks weakening economic growth.

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“Central Europe faces a time for choosing,” Wright told the summit. “We warmly welcome you to join us on Team Energy Freedom and Prosperity for Citizens.”

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Under President Donald Trump, the US has pivoted away from the Paris Agreement and promoted domestic fossil fuel production. Wright argued that while climate change is a real phenomenon, pursuing net zero 2050 would cause more human harm than the problem it aims to solve.

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The US is also actively promoting American energy exports and technology in the region. Westinghouse Electric Co. and Bechtel Group recently signed an extension to their contract to develop Poland’s first nuclear power plant, with additional projects planned across Central and Eastern Europe.

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While France pushes ahead with a diversified strategy aiming for carbon neutrality, the US is encouraging a break from EU climate goals, betting instead on energy models focused on affordability and security.

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The contrasting approaches highlight growing transatlantic divides over how best to secure energy supplies and address climate challenges — divides that could reshape Europe’s energy map for years to come.

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