Wherever you go in France or Europe, you will find traces of hydraulic structures, both ancient and more recent, designed to regulate or tame naturally unstable watercourses. Indeed, access to fresh water resources is fundamental to life and the functioning of our societies. But does water flow from springs? Does it fall from the sky? Nothing could be less certain…
Accustomed to our daily comfort, which provides us with abundant water and energy in terms of both quality and quantity, we no longer really ask ourselves these kinds of questions. All of us? No, a few die-hard lovers of water mills along the Sèvre Nantaise river have decided to take a very close interest in this issue of energy AND water autonomy by creating the first community-based energy supplier, Energie de Nantes.
AQUA was invited to their first millers’ congress at the Angreviers mill on 21 and 22 October 2025. It was an opportunity to discuss the role of water mills in the energy transition, particularly as a means of reclaiming our energy production tools and river management for citizens and riverside communities.
Speakers from different regions and river basins in France came together to share their experiences, points of view and future directions on this fascinating and intergenerational subject. Knowledge recovery projects, the history of mechanics, river energy, environmental amnesia, low–tech and commons policy… so many energising themes and issues that confirm that the subject is far from closed! We look forward to the second congress and future cooperation between the EDN and AQUA ecosystems!
Translated with DeepL