Previously it was World Energy Day, and we have some big news that we’re excited to share! Disneyland Paris is proud to announce that it is building one of the largest solar canopy plants in all of Europe! Pictured below, the solar plant will be developed in collaboration with Urbasolar and will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by more than 750 tons of CO2 per year. It will technically result in enough renewable clean energy to power 17% of the resort – equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a small city!

This project is another step in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and part of a global effort to our long-term goals of attaining net zero greenhouse gas emissions (Disney Parks Blog readers will remember the recently built 270-acre, 50-megawatt solar at Walt Disney World in 2019) and zero waste, while conserving water resources and reversing the decline of wildlife.

The solar plant at Disneyland Paris began construction in July and is slated for completion in 2023, with our first milestone for the first phase in spring 2021. In total, it will encompass 17 hectares (42 acres) of solar canopies, using 67,500 solar panels for a production of 31 gigawatt-hours per year.

Not only will the new plant shade guests from the sunlight, rain, and snow, but it will have a hint of Disney magic once the project is completed – illuminating a section in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head at night, which will be visible from the sky.

In addition to these efforts, did you know that Disneyland Paris Parks and the Disneyland Hotel are already fed by geothermal energy through an innovative plant located at Villages Nature Paris, which uses naturally occurring underground heat and steam to help cover heating needs for the resort’s hot water and heating system? For more information on Disneyland Paris environmental efforts, visit: https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/our-commitments/environment/.

Interested in learning even more about the environment and what you can do to help? Stay tuned on my Instagram handle @DrMarkatDisney.