As we celebrate Public Power Week, a new report by Navigant Research shows how community ownership is driving investments in efficient LED streetlights that save energy and money. The Navigant report details the efforts of public power utilities like Seattle City Light to upgrade street lighting to LED technology and how investor-owned utilities are lagging behind in adopting LEDs.
City Light is a national leader in the adoption of LED streetlights. The utility replaced 41,000 residential streetlights with LEDs and has started a project to upgrade streetlights along arterial roads and in commercial areas. This is one of the largest conversions in the United States and is already saving the municipalities City Light serves more than $2.4 million each year. Additionally, City Light’s Edward Smalley served as director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium for four years, encouraging other communities throughout the country to use the energy efficient lighting.
Public ownership means we share the values of our community. As the Nation’s Greenest Utility, we pride ourselves at City Light for being innovators committed to providing low-cost, reliable electricity in an environmentally responsible manner along with excellent customer service. Efficient, cost-saving LED street lighting is one of the many reasons to celebrate Public Power Week.