Under an extraordinary executive order signed by Davis, law enforcement agencies and the Office of Emergency Services have the next week to figure out which businesses should cut their outdoor lighting without jeopardizing safety or increasing crime.
Violators face criminal misdemeanor charges.
Davis said the plans should save enough power to supply an estimated 3.7 million homes during the summer. Under the state of emergency Davis declared Jan. 17, California's vast bureaucracies were ordered to cut power 20 percent, and residents were asked to voluntarily cut usage by 7 percent. Californians have enormous clout as consumers. Democratic lawmakers have been asking Davis for three weeks to introduce conservation measures, not just negotiate for lower power prices or work to build more power plants. Although nearly every major business group in the state, including Silicon Valley and grocery store lobbyists, said they supported Davis' plan to cut outdoor lighting, not everyone running a business was enthusiastic about having their energy usage monitored by the state.