These days, a lot of local governments are hustling just to keep the lights on. But in Arlington, they're hustling just to see that their lights are operating at an acceptable level of energy efficiency.

The county just announced that they're devoting $500,000 in federal stimulus funds to replacing their current street lights with more environmentally friendly light-emitting diode (LED) systems.

“This is a prime example of how federal stimulus funds are being put to good use,” Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said in a statement today. “By leveraging these funds, we are transforming the way we light our streets in a way that saves taxpayer dollars and helps the environment.”

The funds are coming through the federal government's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) program. The county plans to convert nearly 1,800 of its lights to the new models by the spring of next year. According to the county, the lights will be "dark-sky compliant" and can be dimmed remotely late at night to save "even more energy."

Meanwhile, across the river, District of Columbia residents grope their way through the darkness...