Bloomberg: French Chemicals Makers Seek Support on Shale Gas, Nuclear Power

French chemicals makers urged President Nicolas Sarkozy and contenders in the election to reconsider their objection to shale gas and preserve nuclear power as energy costs are key to the industry’s competitiveness.

“If we’re told no shale gas and less nuclear, and if we have to pay 50 percent more for energy, that’s a huge or even a life-threatening concern,” Olivier Homolle, who chairs the Union des Industries Chimiques, the French chemicals industry federation, said in a March 16 interview. “Nuclear energy is very useful. It’s one of the rare areas where we have an advantage over Germany, so let’s try to preserve it.”  MORE