Conférence de Philippe Ménager : "L'hydroélectricité, une aventure française"

Philippe Ménager is a historian specialising in the world of civil engineering. He is the author of several books on the subject.
At a time when renewable energies are a recurring topic of conversation in politics and society, it's a good time to take a look at one of the oldest of them all: hydroelectricity. Heir to the age-old harnessing of the mechanical force of water, hydroelectricity is one of the fruits of the industrial revolution, from which it benefited (turbines, etc.), but also one of its main supporters in terms of development, to the point where it very quickly became known as "white coal". Born on the slopes of the Alps, in just a few decades hydroelectricity conquered the whole of France, taking advantage of lakes and rivers as well as tides. Delving into the history of French hydroelectricity means meeting the Ponts et Chaussées engineers, industrialists and political decision-makers. It also means discovering the importance of Burgundy, and Le Creusot in particular, in this development. But the presentation will also look to the future, exploring the new challenges facing hydroelectricity. They are numerous and sometimes unsuspected.
Tuesday 11 March 2025.
Conference room, Académie François Bourdon, 6.30pm.
Open to the general public.

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