The lights on the Eiffel Tower will soon be turned off more than an hour earlier at night to save electricity, the mayor of Paris announced on Tuesday, as Russia’s war in Ukraine deepens an energy crisis in Europe.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the iconic tower, which is normally lit up until 1am, is just one of the city’s landmarks and municipal buildings that will plunge into darkness earlier in the evening as the French capital – like the rest of France and Europe – faces risks Power shortages, rationing and blackouts as energy demand rises this winter.
Russia has reduced natural gas supplies to several European countries as they support Ukraine, driving up gas and electricity prices. It has fueled inflation and raised fears of shrinking supplies as the heating season approaches, forcing countries to adopt conservation measures and relief for consumers and businesses. While some European companies have reduced or stopped production as energy prices rise, the European Union is looking to adopt proposals to ease the crisis.
The lights at the Eiffel Tower will be turned off after the last visitor leaves at 11:45 p.m., starting Sept. 23, Hidalgo said. Other city-operated landmarks, such as the Saint-Jacques tower and City Hall, will be switched off at 10 p.m.
“It’s a symbolic but important step,” Hidalgo said, shrugging off criticism that Paris authorities could do more to reduce energy consumption by 10% – the target set in July by President Emmanuel Macron as part of a nationwide “sobriety plan” for him. conserve energy.
For safety reasons, street lights will stay on throughout Paris and the ornate bridges over the Seine River will also stay lit at night, Hidalgo told reporters.
To tie in with France’s austerity plan, she said she would press the government to adjust the lighting at national monuments in Paris, such as the domed Pantheon and the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s famous arch that dominates the Avenue Champs. – Elysees.
Paris authorities also intend to save energy by moving the start of the heating season by a whole month, from mid-October to mid-November. They also plan to lower the temperature in public buildings by 1 degree, from 19 to 18 degrees Celsius (66 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit) during business hours and to 16 degrees Celsius after hours and on weekends.
