With the energy crisis and the increase in electricity prices, ski resorts give the alert three months before the opening of the winter season. Bills are rising and some stations may not open.
Could skiers find the door closed in front of the resorts this winter? The ski areas are in any case sounding the alarm in the face of the energy crisis. Three months before the opening, electricity bills sometimes reach nearly 10 times the amounts of last year. For large ski resorts, this represents additional costs amounting to millions of euros. For the small ones, it is the threat of operating at a loss. Sector professionals are meeting with the government this Tuesday, September 6 to discuss solutions. Their requirement: the establishment of a tariff shield as was done for individuals.
Whether the majority of ski areas completely exclude the closure for the moment, without state aid, some of them find it difficult to project themselves. This is the case of that of Villard-de-Lans-Corrençon-en-Vercors, in Isère. “Currently, we cannot envisage an opening of the station, because we are unable to pay our electricity bill” alerts its director in charge of the ski lifts, Sébastien Giraud, for the Parisian. The share of electricity in their annual budget has increased from 5 to 25%and prices continue to rise.
Energy-intensive ski resorts
To deal with the energy crisis, the government is already encouraging ski resorts to limit their electricity consumption with a target of -10% within two years. In Savoie and Haute-Savoie, there is even talk of reaching -20% for next season. To achieve these results, the first avenue envisaged concerns ski lifts, which represent on average 90% of the electricity consumption of ski resorts. By slowing down their speed of operation and decreasing their number in areas where this is possible, a nice saving could be made. For the moment, no need to worry too much, your ski holidays are not yet threatened. But you could well go up some tracks on foot.