Eiffel Tower, other Paris monuments to turn off lights earlier to save electricity

The City of Light may be needing a rebrand.

The Eiffel Tower and other iconic monuments will begin shutting off their display lights at least an hour earlier to save electricity, the mayor of Paris announced Tuesday. The tower had previously been lit up until 1 a.m.

The reason: an ongoing energy crisis that started after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine leading to a restricting of Western Europe’s natural gas supply.

A picture taken at night on April 26, 2022 shows a view of the illuminated Eiffel Tower
A picture taken at night on April 26, 2022 shows a view of the illuminated Eiffel Tower


A picture taken at night on April 26, 2022 shows a view of the illuminated Eiffel Tower (-/)

Mayor Anne Hidalgo said energy demand will likely surge this winter and did not want to risk shortages or blackouts.

On Sept. 23, the Eiffel Tower will go dark at 11:45 p.m. when the last visitor leaves. Other landmarks, like City Hall, will turn on the dark at 10 p.m.

“It’s a symbolic, but an important step,” Hidalgo said. She added that streetlights and bridges would still be illuminated for safety reasons. Public buildings will also not have their heat turned on mid-November, a month later than usual.

In July, French president Emmanuel Macron called for the country to reduce energy consumption by 10%.

Hidalgo said she plans to ask Macron to similarly reduce lighting on government-run monuments in the city, like the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees.

With News Wire Services

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