The following is a letter from President John Hennessy and Chris Christofferson, associate vice provost for facilities, to the campus community:

Colleagues:

The current utilities crisis in California has forcefully reminded us of the need to focus on energy conservation at home and in the workplace.

We are fortunate that the Cogeneration plant which Stanford built in the mid-1980s actually allows us to contribute electricity to the Pacific Gas & Electric grid -- in effect, we are part of the solution, not part of the problem. At the same time, as is evidenced by the recent rolling blackouts, there is a need to redouble our efforts to conserve energy in campus operations. Every kilowatt-hour the campus conserves during this critical period increases the amount of power we can provide to PG&E and the general public.

We are requesting that all members of the campus community evaluate the use of electrical energy in the workplace. Where lighting can be controlled by occupants, please see that it is turned off when it is not needed. If you are away from your computer for an extended period of time, and especially at the end of the day, please put the computer and monitor to sleep or turn them off. And please be observant as you walk through the public areas of campus. While much of our lighting is necessary for safety reasons, if you see lights in use that you believe may not be required in that regard, please inform Facilities Operations at 723-2281.

Your help, now and in the future, can make a real difference during this difficult period.

• Staff, faculty and students asked to save energy: 1/22/01