April 26, 2025
5 Things to Know: April 26
What’s happening at the Department of Energy? Plus, could indoor lights become a crime-fighting tool?
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. What’s Happening at the U.S. Department of Energy?
Inside Lighting’s numerous inquiries to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) over several weeks continue to go unanswered, even as reports from The Hill and the Associated Press earlier this month indicate that the agency considers more than 40% of its workforce nonessential.
The reports indicate that out of nearly 16,000 positions at DOE, about 7,000 are categorized as nonessential, placing thousands of jobs at risk under the Trump administration’s broader effort to streamline federal agencies. Although DOE oversees major national priorities like nuclear weapons and cybersecurity, its support of lighting research — much of it conducted through Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) — remains a small but important (in our view) part of its mission.
According to The Hill, the DOE emphasized that no final decisions on layoffs had been made, while AP reported that affected areas could include positions supporting the energy grid, hydroelectric projects, and environmental cleanup efforts. Neither outlet indicated whether the document addressed lighting-related research roles. Nevertheless, with lighting standards and innovation being a minor focus within DOE’s vast responsibilities, uncertainty persists over how potential cuts could ripple through areas like energy efficiency research and technology development.
2 . Local Lighting Markets
This week's Inside Lighting InfoLetter featured 12 different sections, including an in-depth overview of Local Markets, where we tracked dozens of lighting agent and manufacturer moves across North America — insights that rarely make it into broader news coverage.
Here’s a sample of what you missed this week:
Local Markets
Nobody covers the Yorba Linda lighting market like we do.
- Toronto: Acuity Brands Lighting Canada has partnered with Nova Pole
- New York City: Enterprise Lighting Sales is the new rep for Bock Lighting
- Upstate NY: Quality Lighting Systems is the new agent for Bock Lighting
- Philadelphia and North Jersey: Diversified has added EOS to its line card
- Baltimore/DC/NoVA: Chesapeake Lighting is the new rep for Union Metal
- Raleigh, NC: K.B. Stephens now represents Steinel
- Greensboro, NC: R.L. Vanstory Company is the new agent for DuroDyne
- South Carolina:
- Creative Lighting Solutions has added AstraLite to its line card
- FRM Lighting & Controls has partnered with Starfire Lighting Inc
- Nashville, Cincinnati and Columbus, OH: JAW Lighting is the new rep for Auralyte, LuxLogic Lighting, and Nuvospec
- Atlanta: Lighting Associates, Inc. now represents Innerscene
- Jacksonville: Arch. Sales & Illumination is the new agent for Vivid Leds
- Louisville, KY: JAW Lighting has added Auralyte, Bartco, LuxLogic Lighting, and Nuvospec to its line card
- Cleveland: JAW Lighting has partnered with Auralyte and Nuvospec
- Chicago:
- Chicago Lightworks is the new agent for Advance and Philips
- PG enlighten has added Endeavor Lighting to its line card
- St. Louis and Kansas City: Convergence has partnered with Lumux
- Iowa and Nebraska: Convergence is the new rep for Tweener
- Oklahoma: Triple C Lighting & Controls has added FSC Lighting to its line card
- Houston, TX: CW Lighting has partnered with BrightSites, Contardi, Rosco, and Tooy
- San Antonio, TX: Spectrum Lighting is the new rep for NLS Lighting
- Utah:
- LGU Lighting & Controls now represents Mixmatch Lighting
- Stevens Sales is the new agent for Artika Pro, Innerscene, and NovaCHARGE
- San Diego:
- LIGHT has added The Smart Lighting Company to its line card
- SDLA has partnered with ATG LED Lighting
- Los Angeles:
- Kore Lighting and Controls is the new rep for PLC Multipoint
- Light Build Design now represents Egoluce and ZAVA
- LIGHT is the new agent for Radiant Architectural Lighting
- Oregon: Harry L. Stearns has added LED Flex to its line card
- Seattle: PLS has partnered with Mindset
- Hawaii: Hawaii Lighting Associates is the new rep for Insight Lighting
3. Lighting & Urban Safety
Government leaders have long turned to lighting as a tool to combat crime. A new study suggests the glow from building interiors might matter, too.
In a virtual reality experiment recreating narrow residential streets, researchers found that fear of crime didn’t just drop when streetlights activated — it dropped again when lights inside buildings turned on. Even without visible people, illuminated windows appeared to signal safety, subtly reducing participants' anxiety about walking alone at night.
If policymakers traditionally respond to crime concerns by installing brighter streetlights, could the next frontier involve subsidizing businesses to keep some interior lights burning after hours? It's an idea that raises thorny questions about energy costs, light pollution, and public safety — but as cities grapple with how to design safer nighttime environments, the recessed 2x2 office lights could find themselves drafted into the fight.
4. Home Hardware: Lighting the Way to Insomnia
Gary Barnes of the Lake Country Calendar reports that residents of Woodsdale Place in Lake Country, British Columbia, have voiced ongoing frustration over bright security lights from a nearby Home Hardware store disrupting their sleep. Gloria Clay, speaking for several residents, stated that complaints have persisted for five years without resolution, despite the District of Lake Country updating its nuisance bylaw in 2021 to address intrusive outdoor lighting. Attempts to block the glare with blinds have failed, and enforcement of the bylaw remains a concern among the affected seniors.
"Ridiculous" https://t.co/Ws7atWISli
— Inside Lighting (@InsLighting) April 26, 2025
Home Hardware co-owner Mona McKay told Lake Country Calendar that the lighting is necessary due to repeated nighttime thefts, and adjustments have been made to accommodate complaints. Despite these efforts, residents report that at least one light continues to cause discomfort. Although the store's property was rezoned earlier this year for a future mixed-use development, residents like Clay note that the timeline for relocation may still stretch over several years.
5. “Almost biblical” discovery
In a study published in Nature Photonics, researchers from the University of Rostock and the University of Birmingham report that they have uncovered an “almost biblical” revelation about light, space and time.
By treating time as a fully dynamic partner to space, they triggered novel bursts of light at single points in space-time — events governed by deep mathematical protections. The light appeared and disappeared without a traditional source, demonstrating surprising resilience against stray light and experimental noise.
The discovery sits squarely in the realm of fundamental physics, far from streetlights and fixtures. But its echoes could one day reach into imaging, communication, and laser technology, reshaping how we manipulate light itself. For now, it’s a reminder that even in a world accustomed to flipping switches, the most powerful forces behind illumination might still be unfolding at the edges of our understanding.
