Street lighting in the District of Columbia

Street lighting in the District of Columbia is provided by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, and covers all city streets and alleys in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Because the Constitution of the United States makes the District of Columbia a creature of the United States federal government, the federal government has the authority to regulate the type and appearance of street lighting. The United States Congress has delegated a part of this authority to the United States Commission of Fine Arts, which controls the appearance of lighting standards in certain areas of the city.

Article One, Section Eight of the U.S. Constitution grants the federal government the authority to establish and govern the seat of government of the country. On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, created the national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was selected by President George Washington, who signed the bill into law on July 16. Congress passed the Organic Act of 1801, which officially organized the District and placed the entire territory under the exclusive control of the federal government. At the time, it was not envisioned that the capital city would be coterminous with the entire territory of the District of Columbia. A city charter, distinct from the Organic Act for the District, was needed. Congress enacted this charter on May 3, 1802. President Washington set the boundary of the new "Federal City" roughly where Pennsylvania Avenue NW is today.

...
Wikipedia