Paris: Eiffel Tower will be switched off earlier to save energy.

RFI  - The initiative came from the mayor of Paris, the socialist Anne Hidalgo. She is preparing to announce, on Tuesday (13), her plan for energy saving in the French capital in the coming months. However, one of the most emblematic measures - the reduction of the lighting time of the Eiffel Tower - has already been confirmed by local authorities to the press.

The "Iron Lady," as the monument is also known, will have its lights turned off starting at 23:45 PM, 1 hour and 15 minutes earlier than usual. According to the Eiffel Tower Operating Company (SETE), there is no precise date yet for the plan to take effect, but the goal is for it to be implemented as soon as possible.

Currently, the Eiffel Tower's lights are switched on as soon as night falls and remain illuminated until 1 a.m. A total of 336 spotlights bathe the monument's structure in gold light at night. In addition, every hour, 20 lights flash, giving the "Iron Lady" a shimmering appearance. This spectacle, observed by thousands of tourists daily, last occurs at midnight. With the implementation of the energy conservation plan, the tower will shine for the last time at 23 p.m.

Symbolic gesture

Even before being announced, the measure is already being questioned by the French press. "What is the real impact of reducing the tower's lighting?", asks the newspaper. Le Parisien this Monday (12). For the president of Sete, Jean-François Martins, in a context of fear of an energy crisis, it is necessary to "set an example". According to him, the night lighting of the monument represents 4% of the total electricity consumption of the "Iron Lady".

"Using lighting only when we really need it is a good decision. The goal is somewhat economic, but it's important to set an example, participate in raising awareness and mobilizing efforts," he says.

Closed for extended periods during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Eiffel Tower – a work by engineer Gustave Eiffel, completed in 1889 – has resumed this year the same level of visitor numbers as before the health crisis, receiving an average of more than 20 visitors per day. 

Interviewed by the newspaper Le ParisienResidents of the French capital seem to support the initiative. Some recall that, on several occasions, the monument has remained unlit throughout the night, as on last Thursday (8), in respect for Queen Elizabeth II, who died on the same day.

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