Eiffel Tower Lights to Turn Off Earlier to Lower Power Use

The lights that make the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night will be turned off more than an hour earlier than usual to save energy.

The Paris town hall is due to announce Tuesday that the lighting of the French capital’s iconic structure will be turned off at 11:45 p.m. instead of 1 a.m. The measure was reported earlier by newspaper Journal Du Dimanche.

“It’s an eminently symbolic gesture to participate in raising awareness about the need to save energy,” Jean-François Martins, president of the site operator SETE, said in a statement.

Lighting the iron structure at night represents 4% of its annual power consumption, according to the Societe d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.