To avoid widespread blackouts, the French government has created a plan to ration power in select areas.

Such rolling outages would not come out of nowhere.

The protocol would begin first with a warning campaign for consumers to lower their usage through the site EcoWatt.

If the surge persists for three days, then consumers would be informed the night before of the upcoming temporary blackout.

It would occur in the morning from 8 to 1 or in the evening from 6 to 8.

While sites like hospitals and police stations are exempt, there are concerns about reaching first responders.

Before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, the head of the phone giant Orange reminded lawmakers that telephone infrastructure runs on electricity and that power cuts would affect service.

It's an illusion to imagine that we'll be able to maintain service to all French people in the event of power cuts.

The government has tried to remain reassuring, noting the protocol is a hypothetical, just-in-case plan.

We're not currently telling the French people that there will be power cuts this winter.

We're currently telling them that if the tensions rise, that is, it is 5, 6, 7 degrees below average this January and that we must tap into our electricity reserves for heating, then we will not let critical situations arise.

We are thus just anticipating.

Calls to reduce electricity consumption nationwide have been working.

Daily usage has dropped in France by five percent.

And that could help avoid rolling blackouts, as could a mild winter.