EUROPE POWER-Spot for early next week driven higher by low wind, nuclear

* German wind output to fall sharply to Monday

* French demand up on higher temperatures

* Forward curve prices follows weaker fuels

FRANKFURT, July 15 (Reuters) - European prompt power prices were driven higher for next week on Friday as French and German nuclear availability decreased and lower wind power supply also tightened the supply side.

German wind power supply will plummet over the weekend, reaching a level of 6.3 gigawatts (GW) on Monday compared with the 16 GW recorded on Friday, according to Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) data.

"Daily wind levels next week look set to be around 10 to 15 GW, with solar around 20 GW," one trader said.

German baseload power for Monday delivery was 4.95 euros above the price paid for Friday at 30.25 euros ($34) a megawatt hour (MWh).

The equivalent French contract was bid at 36 euros, 8.75 euros above Friday.

At this time of year, holiday-related demand drops can be overridden by increased air conditioning demand if the summers are hot.

Power plant operators in Germany and Austria, which plan capacities long ahead, seem to try and provide for that.

Next (Other OTC: NXGH - news) week, they are set to raise mainly coal-fired capacity, leading to 7.4 percent higher availability by July 22, data from the EEX bourse showed.

Thomson Reuters data showed French demand is to rise by 3.2 GW on Monday over that on Friday, on account of rising temperatures, while Germany's will ease slightly by 0.3 GW.

But so far this summer, there have not been excessive temperatures over prolonged time spans and German weather forecasts show there will not be a heat wave at least up to early August.

Forward power prices fell, tracking weaker fuels and carbon.

German baseload power for next year, Cal '17, was 62 cents down at 27.2 euros/MWh.

BayernLB in a research note said that next week, the contract, a European benchmark, would be influenced by monthly economic data issued for July by the German ZEW institute, reflecting the early impact of Brexit on the EU economy.

The French year-ahead power contract was bid 1.15 euros lower at 32 euros.

Crude futures dipped below $47 a barrel on concerns that a persistent global glut of crude oil and refined products will impede any price recovery.

European coal prices for 2017 were untraded but bid down.

Front-year EU carbon allowances were down 1.7 percent at 4.7 euros a tonne.

In eastern European power, the Czech year-ahead position was 85 cents up at 28.15 euros and the next three days (TRCZBD1-3) were not traded.

($1 = 0.8976 euros) (Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Susan Fenton)