Paris: The City of Lights may go Dark this Winter

In the European energy crisis, all of the scrutiny is focused on Germany and gas from Russia. Indeed, the first European city in France to suffer a blackout as temperatures drop toward the tip of the year would be Paris compared to Berlin.

France had to purchase electricity from overseas on a record number of days this year, hence the measures were taken to combat the energy crisis.

In France, 14 communes in the Val d'Oise department north of Paris are trialing measures to completely switch off public lighting at midnight. The towns join around 12,000 municipalities in France that already either entirely or partially switch off public lighting at night. Most of the citizens are unsettled over these energy measures and raised concerns by locals revolve around safety.

The French government has declared rules to battle energy wastage, including an instruction to shops using air conditioning to keep doors closed or risk being fined. France's Minister of Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher said there have also been plans to limit the use of illuminated signs.

"In the coming days, I will issue two decrees: the first will widen the ban on illuminated advertising, regardless of the size of the city, between 1 am and 6 am, except for airports and stations. Even as the threat of inflation and energy shortage linked to Russia’s war prevails, I assure the parliament that “thanks to European solidarity” France will be ready for this winter.” - Pannier-Runacher said to the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

ENPOSS is encouraged by the measures that the French government is trying to implement to combat the energy crisis.