President Bush today is ordering employees at all 500,000 federal buildings to dim lights, turn off office equipment not in use, and conserve energy in other ways to reduce the chance of energy shortages this summer. Casual dress will even be allowed on hot days, to limit the need for air-conditioning. A spokesperson for California Gov. Gray Davis (D-Calif.) urged Bush to go even further and match the state’s pledge to reduce energy use in state buildings by 20 percent. Californians used 9 percent less electricity in the past two months compared to the same period last year. Solar power has a new cache in the state, and sales have doubled at Real Goods, a Northern California company that specializes in solar and energy-saving products.
