France could face winter power cuts, hit by nuclear dependence

By Bate Felix and Geert De Clercq PARIS (Reuters) - France could impose power cuts this winter due to an electricity shortage, an unprecedented step in the wealthy nation which would expose the vulnerabilities of its dependence on nuclear power. The warning was issued on Tuesday by grid operator RTE, which said power supply had been hit by the closure of around a third of the country's ageing nuclear reactors for safety checks. France relies on nuclear for three-quarters of its power, more than