CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Plans are underway to shed new light on the state Capitol.

The state government's General Services Division is seeking proposals for electrical engineering firms to come up with plans to redesign and renovate exterior lighting of the Capitol, as well as the Capitol's north and south plazas.

Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley-Brown said the current exterior lighting, installed in the 1970s, is outdated -- and in some cases no longer functional.

"This project is more than somebody going around changing light bulbs," she said.

Holley-Brown said the intent is for the new design to make use of new lighting systems that did not exist in the 1970s.

"There's been a lot of change in lighting technology," she said. She said most of the current lighting relies on florescent bulbs.

In the request for architectural and engineering proposals, the division notes, "The Capitol building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, should be lit in a manner that is appropriate for both the political significance of the structure, and in keeping with its historical nature."

Holley-Brown said it is appropriate to consider new lighting systems for the Capitol exterior now, as work nears completion on a two-year project to repair and clean the entire Capitol exterior.

Work on the main building was completed last year, while the East and West wings are on schedule for an October 2010 completion.

The project, the first major exterior cleaning and repair since the Capitol opened in 1932, cost $7.8 million.

Cost estimates for the lighting project will not be determined until the selected engineering firm completes its evaluation and design recommendations, she said.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.