France

General Manager

Gaby Goldmann is the General Manager of the NUS Consulting’s Paris office. Gaby has a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Pantheon Sorbonne (Paris). She also received a Juris Doctor from the University of Sceaux passing the bar exam at the University of Nanterre. Gaby joined NUS Consulting in 1978 as an Account Manager being subsequently promoted to various managerial positions within the organization. She left the company in 2005 to be an attorney at the Court in Nice for 3 years and rejoined the company in 2008 as the French office’s General Manager.

Overview

In 1972, NUS Consulting opened its Paris office. Starting with 3 people in a small office located near the Arc de Triomphe, the Paris office now employs over 50 professionals providing energy and other expert services to clients throughout France and the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

The French electricity market is the second largest in Europe behind Germany. The French electricity industry is governed by law originally enacted in 1946 which nationalized the industry and created Electricité de France (EDF). Ever since, EDF has exerted near complete control over the marketplace. Today, despite EU law requiring the opening of markets, EDF continues to control approximately 80 percent of the generation capacity within France and produces electricity in excess of its domestic needs – exporting the residual to its neighbors. Because the bulk of electricity generation in France is nuclear – in excess of 75 percent with the remainder divided between hydro and thermal – the overall cost of electricity to consumers is extremely low in comparison to its neighbors. As such, to date, there has been little foreign participation in the market and competition has been severely limited. In spite of all of this, the French market is deregulated and very complex – consumers must choose between various regulated tariffs offered by EDF, deregulated supply contracts with EDF (or other alternative suppliers) or, under certain circumstances, government sponsored supply contracts.

There are signs that the French market is slowly opening. Today, the market has a power exchange – Powernext – which is growing and introducing some degree of liquidity and transparency to the marketplace. Moreover, progress has been made with regard to the unbundling or opening of the distribution system – the 7 distribution system operators controlling 98 percent of the overall market have been separated from their parents into separate subsidiaries. These are small steps (in relation to other European countries) but steps the French regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Energy (CRE), is monitoring closely. As the market evolves and further changes are instituted there will be opportunities will be created for businesses and consumers. Our French staff is continuously monitoring the energy market and evolving developments to ensure our clients are take advantage of each opportunity as they become available.

In addition to providing a full range of energy consulting services – procurement, invoice validation and processing, audit, analysis, on-line data management, research and consulting -- our French office provides a number of other specialized services to our clients. Specifically, our French staff (which includes attorneys, taxes specialists, and technical experts) provides audit and analysis services with regard to social charges and professional taxes as well as research and filling support for EU aid/grants and research tax credits.