In Congressional Quarterly, via reader SCB:
Light it up, and don’t fret about the electric bill. When House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., flips the switch tomorrow to light the Capitol Christmas tree, “significantly less energy will be used thanks to the first-time addition of Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights.” So says Senate Energy Chairman Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M., whose home state not only produced this year’s giant tree but also is home to Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, a leading center of research and development for LED lighting. Domenici said the bulbs use about 90 percent less electricity than traditional holiday lights and last 20,000 hours (the equivalent of more than 100 holiday seasons). Guess someone had better take them off carefully after New Year’s and stuff them away for next year.
Thanks, Pete! That energy bill? Forgiven!
In other CQ news, the cover story this week is called "Getting a Grip on Carbon." Sadly, I can’t read it, since I’m not a subscriber.
