French Industry and Energy Minister Eric Besson Thursday said state controlled utility Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR) should examine how to ensure more of its nuclear reactors are available to deal with increasingly regular unseasonal weather.

"Exceptional" weather conditions, like the early cold snap currently freezing the country, appear to be occurring more frequently, he said while visiting a power control center.

Instead of the 51 reactors out of 58 currently available, "we could have hoped for" 53 or 54, he said. The government will review the issue with EDF, he said.

-By Adam Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; +331 4017 1740, adam.mitchell@dowjones.com