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Davis Enlists Janitors To Help Conserve

'Lights Out' Energy Savings Campaign To Help Avoid Blackouts

LOS ANGELES, 7:11 p.m. EDT May 7, 2001 --

Gov. Gray Davis on Monday enlisted janitors in an energy saving campaign in which they will turn out lights and urge energy conservation in the buildings that they clean.

"Everyone must do their part so that we can get through this summer without major disruptions," the governor said at a downtown Los Angeles news conference on the partnership between government, business and labor.

"My friends, we are in a war with energy companies," Davis told reporters. "Our best short-term remedy against price-gouging and rolling blackouts is conservation."

The janitors are part of a plan calling for cooperation from landlords, employers and workers to conserve power to protect the state from blackouts this summer.

In what Davis called the "largest commercial partnership for conservation eve," the plan could achieve a 10 percent power savings in 2,500 buildings encompassing 300 million square feet of commercial space.

Janitors will be asked to help by cleaning one floor of a building at a time, turning off lights when they're done and leaving notes for workers who have left computers and other equipment on.

New Conservation Web Site

Davis also unveiled Monday a new Web site designed to help power users make use of energy rebates and other programs to help cut power use by 5,000 megawatts this summer.

Davis said that the site, www.flexyourpower.ca.gov/rebates, developed by the California Energy Commission, acts as a database for all conservation programs.

"It makes it easy for everyone to find rebates, energy loans and grants programs," Davis said.

The site allows consumers to search for all the energy efficiency programs being offered by any public agency and their utility district. It can also be used to search out specific energy rebates, such as those for power efficient refrigerators or air conditioners.

Consumers can obtain the same information by calling (800) 555-7794 in California, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Copyright 2001 by Channel 2000. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), May 08, 2001