THE CENTENARY
100 years on from Grenoble 1925 : stories from a centenary
As part of the celebrations marking the centenary of the 1925 Grenoble International Exhibition of White Coal and Tourism, which took place throughout 2025, a book has been produced by the Hydro21 Association.
Spanning nearly 160 pages, it recounts the main events that took place that year through the eyes of students from Grenoble INP-ENSE3, experts and academics specialising in hydroelectricity.
Publication date: early September.
10th edition of the Salon Business Hydro : A year of centenary celebrations and history
To mark the 10th edition of the Salon Business Hydro, we paid tribute to a landmark event in Grenoble’s history : the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism. This exhibition, which marked Grenoble’s emergence on the international stage as the capital of hydroelectricity, embodied a century of technological progress and economic development driven by hydropower.
The 2025 edition of our trade fair provided an opportunity to celebrate the innovation and dynamism that have made Grenoble and the surrounding area a key hub for hydropower and sustainable development.
A pioneering source of energy and a unique industrial heritage
The history of hydroelectricity in Isère dates back to 1925, the year in which the international exhibition dedicated to the “Houille Blanche” – a term coined by Aristide Bergès to refer to hydroelectric power – highlighted the immense potential of this natural resource.
This same term, in contrast to ‘black coal’, referred to a new form of environmentally friendly energy that had rapidly transformed the Grenoble basin and revitalised the Oisans region. Hydropower had not only enabled industrial and tourist development, but had also become a key element of the region’s identity.
A Festive and Innovative Programme to Mark the Centenary
In 2025, the centenary celebrations brought together representatives from the economic, scientific, cultural and institutional sectors in a spirit of collaboration and openness. The Grenoble Metropolitan Area, the local authorities of Grésivaudan and Oisans, along with numerous businesses and organisations, have joined forces to offer the public a rich and varied programme : talks, tours of historic sites, discussions on the future of hydropower in France’s energy mix, and immersive experiences designed to help people understand the challenges facing this renewable energy source.
At the Heart of the Exhibition : Towards a Sustainable Future
The 10th edition of the Salon Business Hydro served as the focal point for this historic and visionary celebration. It gave professionals, experts, students and the general public the opportunity to discover how hydropower, which has its origins in the streams and rivers of the Isère, continues to play a key role in the current energy transition. We invited participants to join us in exploring a century of ingenuity and considering the future potential of this vital renewable energy source.
Join us to celebrate a century of history and discover the future of hydropower at the Business Hydro 2026 trade fair!