Does anybody have any candles?
It’s noticeably a little darker around the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse today in downtown Washington. Hallways. Offices. Chambers? Judge, is that you?
In an effort to conserve energy, courthouse employees are being asked to turn off lights when leaving a room and, among other things, to avoid using table lamps “if possible.” The directive to courthouse employees comes from the General Services Administration.
“GSA requests that all tenants minimize energy use during days with high demand, such as today,” a court official said in an e-mail today that was sent to all courthouse employees. The peak energy time on hot days—above 90 degrees—is generally between noon and 6 p.m., according to the e-mail. Cutting energy use minimizes the chance of a “actual blackout,” courthouse employees were told.
In many spots around the courthouse, there’s ample natural light to leave reading light unaffected. And there is still plenty of light in courtrooms. At least in those where judges were holding hearings. Otherwise, one hopes the lights are indeed off.
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