National Mall Getting Brighter

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is joining corporate and nonprofit partners to show off a new energy-efficient lighting system on the National Mall.
 
Salazar will flip the switch Monday for the new LED lights along the mall about 5:30 p.m. Officials say the new system from 3rd to 15th streets will reduce lighting energy use by 65 percent, and provide better lighting and security for the Mall's 25 million visitors each year.
 
Lighting maker Osram Sylvania Inc. donated the LED lights and kits to retrofit historic lamps on the mall. Electric utility Pepco provided overhead line crews to install the kits for free and to remove the previous mercury vapor light bulbs.

The nonprofit Trust for the National Mall helped coordinate the improvements with the National Park Service.