On September 23, 1973, Oregon Gov. Tom McCall ordered a complete ban on the use of electricity for commercial display or decorative purposes throughout the state.¹ The Governor declared that the "inherent authority" of his office provided the legal basis for the unprecedented order.

After an unusually dry summer in the normally rainsoaked Northwest, water levels in the state's reservoirs had dropped alarmingly, causing a reduction in the hydroelectric power output on which Oregon depends. On August 21, the Governor issued an executive order² that declared an energy emergency and directed the state Department of General Services to take the following steps to conserve energy: