Europe's record heat wave pushes the grid to limits as residents crank up fans and air‑conditioning. On June 23 France hit a 1947‑record 44 °C, warming rivers that cool nuclear plants. EDF shut Golfech unit 2 when Garonne water rose past 28 °C, a precautionary stop that mirrors earlier July 2025 outages of seven gigawatts.

Hydropower plants suffer from low river flows, cutting European supply by 13 % in early 2025. UK gas stations dropped 2.5 GW as cooling towers struggle. Even coal and natural‑gas units face thermal limits. Demand spikes from doubled air‑conditioning use strain the system, pushing grid operators toward batteries, demand response and upgrades to stabilize electricity delivery during heat waves and maintain service levels.

EDF projects €600 million a year over 15 years to retrofit cooling systems and reinforce grids. Planners urge utilities to model summer peaks, deploy batteries, and adjust demand. With global cooling use projected to double by 2050, Europe faces mounting pressure. The current outages show that without swift adaptation, the continent risks supply gaps whenever temperatures climb in future summits and crises.