EXECUTIVE ORDER  73-08

CONSERVATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

By Executive Order 73-07 issued September 6, 1973, I declared a temporary state of emergency in regard to the availability of electric energy and ordered all state agencies to reduce their electrical consumption by not less than ten percent. I also called on local and federal agencies within the State of Washington to implement energy conservation measures and suggested to industries, businesses and commercial establishments as well as all private citizens specific ideas for reducing electrical consumption.

In the intervening weeks, as a result of a determined effort by many of our citizens in addition to government agencies and all segments of the economy, a significant reduction in the predicted consumption of electrical energy has been achieved. The efforts by all involved are to be commended but the level of curtailment required to relieve the crisis situation facing our state must be protected and sustained during the greater demand period of late fall and winter.

With the advent of colder weather, runoffs from the river basins feeding our hydro-electric systems has diminished. It now appears that the flow of our rivers is much lower than is needed and this flow will not increase significantly since precipitation in the headwaters of these rivers will remain primarily in snowpack form. The snowpack will be essential as it develops into a runoff during the spring and summer for our energy needs next winter. At the present, however, we must depend principally on a reduction in electrical consumption in order to have sufficient power available for essential uses and to avoid severe hardships this winter.

The voluntary curtailment efforts of the past several weeks must now be intensified to carry us through the next several months. It is essential that our efforts to eliminate waste and non-critical uses of electrical energy he successful. If this renewed effort should fail and mandatory curtailment of usage is implemented, every segment of our state will suffer. Job losses will be unavoidable, activity of all kinds will be restricted and many conveniences will be unavailable.

The Electric Energy Curtailment Committee has recommended that certain types of advertising and similar lighting be further limited in order to delay or eliminate the imposition of mandatory cutbacks. Recognition of current conservation practices should be noted. These efforts need to be expanded.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Daniel J. Evans, Governor of the State of Washington, do by virtue of the power vested to me, call for our citizens and all segments of our economy to take the following specific actions in a renewed and intensified effort to meet the continuing electrical energy shortage crisis.

- Eliminate all outdoor advertising signs during non-business hours and during daylight hours.

-Use only lighting absolutely necessary for identifying business operation, such as a sign indicating "open", or "vacancy", during business hours between darkness and closing.

-Eliminate all external and internal decorative lighting and floodlighting, except for the minimum needed for safety and security. Reduced wattages should be utilized where such lighting is necessary.

-Reduce commercial parking lot lighting to the minimum needed and eliminate such lighting after closing hours. Late working employees should be afforded parking where special limited lighting is available for their needs.

-Eliminate interior nighttime building lighting where possible except for mini mum lighting needed for security and safety or where such lighting is an integral part of the heating plan and increased consumption of energy would result if such lighting were excluded from this program. Custodial hours should be further adjusted to daylight hours where possible.

- Eliminate all outdoor billboard lighting.

- Continue efforts to eliminate non-essential street lighting in our communities where this can be accomplished without jeopardizing safety and security.

- Give strong consideration to reducing the hours of business.

It is my fervent hope that in the spirit of community and citizenship, every citizen of this state will make every effort to comply with the actions called for in this order and continue and expand other efforts at general reductions in electrical consumption in order to avoid the necessity for imposing mandatory controls.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the State of
Washington to be affixed at Olympia this
8th day of November A.D., Nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

Daniel J. Evans
Governor of Washington

BY THE GOVERNOR:



Secretary of State