An energy sobriety plan to turn off Paris monuments at night – Xinhua English.news.cn
The illuminated Eiffel Tower is seen in Paris, France, Sept. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
The objective of Paris’ “energy sobriety plan” is to reduce the city’s consumption by 10%, the equivalent of the energy consumption of 226 schools, Hidalgo explained.
PARIS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — The lights of the Eiffel Tower will be turned off at 11:45 p.m. starting this Friday, in a bid to save electricity due to the energy crisis.
Other major monuments in the French capital, such as the Paris City Hall, the Saint-Jacques Tower and the city’s museums will no longer be illuminated from 10 p.m.
“The City of Light will remain the City of Light”, underlined the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, during a presentation of the “energy sobriety plan” of Paris on September 13.
“It’s important to show that everywhere, including this monument…which we symbolically light up green when there are important climate moments, will also participate.”
An earlier switch-off time for the lights of the “Iron Lady”, built by engineer Gustave Eiffel 133 years ago, will result in energy savings of 4%, Hidalgo added.
According to the Eiffel Tower’s operating company, the annual nocturnal energy consumption of the “Iron Lady” amounts to 6.7 gigawatt hours, or approximately the equivalent of the energy consumption of a city of 3,000 inhabitants. The monument attracts six million visitors a year.
The Louvre Museum lights up in blue to celebrate the start of France’s presidency of the European Union in Paris, France, Jan. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
Meanwhile, the ornamental lighting of the facades and monuments of the capital will be switched off at 10 p.m. from this Friday. This includes the town hall, which is usually lit until 1 a.m., the Saint-Jacques tower, the city’s museums and the town halls of the arrondissements of Paris. According to the city of Paris, this will save almost 10 million euros (9.7 million US dollars).
The aim of Paris’ “energy sobriety plan” is to reduce the city’s consumption by 10%, the equivalent of the energy consumption of 226 schools, Hidalgo explained.
She also called on the state to take similar steps for national monuments, and private monument owners to take similar steps.
French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak announced on September 17 that the Louvre pyramid and the facade of the Palace of Versailles would be switched off earlier to save energy.
However, she said that while symbolic measures were important to raise awareness, they were not enough.
Other major French cities are also committed to energy sobriety. In Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region), emblematic buildings such as the Pharo, the Major, the Palais Longchamp and the Opera will be extinguished earlier from the end of the month.
The city of Lille (Hauts-de-France) has already implemented such measures. According to a press release from the town hall, they represent an annual saving of around 170,000 kWh in energy consumption.
In Strasbourg (Grand Est), where the famous Christmas market attracts more than two million visitors each year, the town hall takes up the challenge of ensuring energy sobriety while preserving the spirit of the event.
Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2018 shows the Christmas market in Strasbourg, France. (Xinhua/Genevieve Engel)
“We are working on the whole project, so that it is coherent. We are thinking of the illuminations but also of the 300 chalets which consume a lot of energy”, declared to the regional press the deputy mayor of Strasbourg Guillaume Lisbsig.
Due to a decree of March 31, 2022, heating the exteriors of bars and restaurants and all outdoor public spaces will no longer be authorized this year on the Strasbourg Christmas market, or anywhere else in France. Traders oppose this decision.
In Paris, the famous Christmas lights on the Champs-Elysées will also be significantly reduced. The committee which organizes the festivities on “the most beautiful avenue in the world” declared that it wanted to “significantly” reduce the Christmas lights and the lighting of the windows.
People gather on the Champs-Elysees avenue to celebrate the New Year in Paris, France, Dec. 31, 2021. (Xinhua)
“The Champs-Elysées must participate collectively and in solidarity with the efforts requested of the French,” the committee said.
However, he added: “This must not compromise the cultural, touristic, commercial, economic influence of the Champs-Elysées or the aesthetic and playful quality of walks on the avenue during the festive period.”
France, like many other European countries, is facing an energy crisis this winter. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has already announced that continued blackouts are possible. (1 euro = 0.97 US dollars)■