A new energy-efficient lighting system will illuminate the National Mall beginning Monday night.
Though controversy over the federal incandescent bulb ban continues, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will flip the switch for a new LED light-system at 5:30 p.m.
The system runs from 3rd to 15th streets, roughly the area between the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. According to the Trust for the National Mall, it will reduce energy use by 65 percent and provide better lighting and security for mall visitors.
Osram Sylvania Inc., a light-making company, donated the 173 new bulbs and kits needed to replace the mall’s historic lamps. D.C.’s electric utility, Pepco, provided a crew to remove the original mercury vapor bulbs and install the new ones free of charge.
