Small cities in Washington are getting big help from the state to convert their streetlights from high-pressure sodium lamps to LEDs.
The Washington State Transportation Improvement Board announced recently that it has arranged directly with utility companies to convert to LED streetlights for eligible cities throughout the Puget Sound Energy and Avista Utilities service areas. Work will begin as soon as July 2015 and continue for six years. Cities with LED streetlights will pay new lower LED streetlight rates, saving at least 25 percent of monthly operating costs. Agencies outside of these service providers will be able to receive direct grants beginning in 2016.
Seattle City Light collaborated with the board as it developed the program, sharing the utility’s experience on fixture specifications and performance.
City Light converted about 41,000 residential streetlights to LEDs and is now working to replace high-pressure sodium streetlights on arterial streets with energy efficient LEDs. Read more about that program here. The utility also led the US Department of Energy’s Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium for four years, encouraging communities across the country to share information about LED streetlights and to speed installation of the energy saving lights.
Here’s the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board’s announcement of its new program, called Relight Washington:
Relight Washington LED Streetlight Program coming to small cities beginning in 2015
TIB introduced a new program in 2015 to move small cities to the front of the line in cost saving LED streetlight replacement. Small cities and cities with low tax base, including all cities with population under 5,000, will be eligible for LED streetlight conversion. TIB intends to help cities take advantage of the up to 55 percent savings experienced with LED technology.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
All small cities (population under 5,000) will be eligible to receive funds. Additionally the board has included urban agencies (population 5,000 and up) that have an assessed value under $2 billion. Cities, including those over $2 billion assessed value, may also apply for funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce, subject to state budget adoption.
WHAT IS ELIGIBLE?
Streetlights on public streets within the city limits are eligible if the city pays for them directly or through utility rates. Small numbers of new additional lights and directly related minor upgrades may be authorized by TIB.
HOW WILL THE PROGRAM WORK?
TIB has arranged directly with utility companies to convert to LED streetlights for eligible cities throughout the Puget Sound Energy and Avista Utilities service areas. Work will begin as soon as July 2015 and continue for six years. Cities with LED streetlights will pay new lower LED streetlight rates, saving at least 25 percent of monthly operating costs. Agencies outside of these service providers will be able to receive direct grants beginning in 2016.
WHAT SHOULD AGENCIES BE DOING?
If your city is in the PSE or Avista service areas, no action is required. You will receive funding authorization from TIB based on our coordinated scheduling with the utility. Cities outside the Avista and PSE service areas may wish to prepare for future grant opportunities by inventorying light type, wattage and location. Contact your utility company to ensure that significant cost savings will be shared with the city after installation. TIB will not fund conversion in cases where no cost savings is shared with the city through lower rates.
WHAT IS NEXT?
TIB will start the first installations of streetlights this summer in the investor owned service areas where agreements are in place.
RELIGHT WASHINGTON ELIGIBLE AGENCIES
AberdeenAirway HeightsAlbion Algona
Almira
Arlington
Asotin
Battle Ground
Beaux Arts Village
Benton City
Bingen
Black Diamond
Blaine
Bonney Lake
Brewster
Bridgeport
Brier
Buckley
Bucoda
Burlington
Carbonado
Carnation
Cashmere
Castle Rock
Cathlamet
Centralia
Chehalis
Chelan
Cheney
Chewelah
Clarkston
Cle Elum
Clyde Hill
Colfax
College Place
Colton
Colville
Conconully
Concrete
Connell
Cosmopolis
Coulee City
Coulee Dam
Coupeville
Covington
Creston
CusickDarringtonDavenport Dayton
Deer Park
Dupont
Duvall
East Wenatchee
Eatonville
Edgewood
Electric City
Ellensburg
Elma
Elmer City
Endicott
Entiat
Enumclaw
Ephrata
Everson
Fairfield
Farmington
Ferndale
Fife
Fircrest
Forks
Friday Harbor
Garfield
George
Gig Harbor
Gold Bar
Goldendale
Grand Coulee
Grandview
Granger
Granite Falls
Hamilton
Harrah
Harrington
Hartline
Hatton
Hoquiam
Hunts Point
Ilwaco
Index
Ione
Kahlotus
KalamaKelsoKettle Falls Kittitas
Krupp
La Center
La Conner
Lacrosse
Lake Forest Park
Lamont
Langley
Latah
Leavenworth
Liberty Lake
Lind
Long Beach
Lyman
Lynden
Mabton
Malden
Mansfield
Marcus
Mattawa
Mccleary
Medical Lake
Medina
Mesa
Metaline
Metaline Falls
Millwood
Milton
Monroe
Montesano
Morton
Mossyrock
Mountlake Terrace
Moxee
Naches
Napavine
Nespelem
Newcastle
Newport
Nooksack
Normandy Park
North Bend
North Bonneville
NorthportOak HarborOakesdale Oakville
Ocean Shores
Odessa
Okanogan
Omak
Oroville
Orting
Othello
Pacific
Palouse
Pateros
Pe Ell
Pomeroy
Port Angeles
Port Orchard
Port Townsend
Poulsbo
Prescott
Prosser
Pullman
Quincy
Rainier
Raymond
Reardan
Republic
Ridgefield
Ritzville
Riverside
Rock Island
Rockford
Rosalia
Roslyn
Roy
Royal City
Ruston
Sedro Woolley
Selah
Sequim
Shelton
Skykomish
Snohomish
Snoqualmie
Soap Lake
South BendSouth Cle ElumSouth Prairie Spangle
Sprague
Springdale
St. John
Stanwood
Starbuck
Steilacoom
Stevenson
Sultan
Sumas
Sumner
Sunnyside
Tekoa
Tenino
Tieton
Toledo
Tonasket
Toppenish
Twisp
Union Gap
Uniontown
Vader
Waitsburg
Wapato
Warden
Washougal
Washtucna
Waterville
Waverly
West Richland
Westport
White Salmon
Wilbur
Wilkeson
Wilson Creek
Winlock
Winthrop
Woodland
Woodway
Yacolt
Yarrow Point
Yelm
Zillah