The French have been toying with all manner of creative energy schemes for decades. I can't say that their motives are economic; rather, it's an idea that seems to excite the national imagination.
IMO, the pictures show one of the more common 'blind alleys' along the path to energy independence: massive central projects. It is my belief that the 'holy grail' will be found when we instead focus on small, individually owned units- and relegate the PoCo to acting more like a bank and accountant, rather than the primary manufacturer.
