Ball Field Power Cuts Sufficient for Now

The state’s energy crisis has prompted most cities to reduce their power use, but for the moment, residents will not notice significant changes.

Most Orange County cities have shut off unneeded lights and turned down thermostats. Some have also adjusted their lighting at parks and recreational facilities.

Santa Ana parks will be dark at night except during scheduled activities, said Cleve Williams, executive director of parks and recreation.

Last week, Irvine asked youth and adult sports teams to shift their practice times and locations to help get the most use out of ball field lighting. Games will start later to avoid using the lights at peak times, and soccer teams have been asked to share lighted fields for practice. Laguna Niguel also has shifted field use by about 30 minutes to conserve energy at times of peak use.

Anaheim, Fountain Valley and Santa Ana now send out field-watchers to shut off lights when games end. Newport Beach is installing timer switches in restrooms and city tennis courts.

Buena Park, Seal Beach, Laguna Beach and Yorba Linda are asking teams to shut off lights themselves when they’re finished. Seal Beach has installed timers on its lights.

Most cities say the measures are sufficient for now. But more drastic cuts will be needed if the area starts experiencing the same rolling blackouts as in Northern California.

Richard Barnard, spokesman for Huntington Beach, said lighting at public ball fields and beaches may have to be shut off entirely.

“That’s something we may have to consider,” he said, “but there are security and safety issues involved in that. We’re a little reluctant to go to that extreme.”