New York Inches Toward Smart LED Replacement Goal

(TNS) — The New York Power Authority, the Town of Tonawanda and the City of Tonawanda have partnered on a project to install energy-efficient LED streetlights throughout the municipalities as part of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's Smart Street Lighting NY, a statewide program that calls for at least 500,000 streetlights throughout the state to be replaced with LED technology by 2025.

The projects include the installation of more than 7,600 LED streetlights, improving lighting quality and neighborhood safety while reducing energy and maintenance costs. The lighting projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 1,330 metric tons, the equivalent of removing more than 1,050 cars from the road. The installations are expected to begin in March and complete by the end of the year.
 
The $7.5 million lighting upgrade in the Town of Tonawanda will be implemented by NYPA and include the replacement of nearly 6,170 streetlights throughout the town with energy-saving LED fixtures. The town is financing the lighting installation and the more than $12 million purchase of the lights from National Grid through a municipal bond.
 
NYPA will be providing up to $300,000 in Smart Cities grants for the project, which include asset management nodes and smart street lighting controls that allow for the automatic reporting of outages, minimizing maintenance costs. In addition, the light fixtures now have the capability to be dimmed and remotely controlled.
 
The $1.2 million lighting upgrade in the City of Tonawanda will be implemented by NYPA and include the replacement of nearly 1,450 streetlights throughout the city with energy-saving LED fixtures.
 
"This is a win for reducing energy costs and improving public safety while saving money for taxpayers," said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. "The installation of 7,600 new LED streetlights in the Town of Tonawanda and City of Tonawanda will also increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we work to build back better, cleaner and more resilient for the post-pandemic future."
 
NYPA is working with cities, towns, villages and counties throughout New York to fully manage and implement a customer's transition to LED streetlight technology. NYPA provides upfront financing for the project, with payments to NYPA made in the years following from the cost-savings created by the reduced energy use of the LED streetlights, which are 50 to 65 percent more efficient than alternative street lighting options.
 
To learn more about the Smart Street Lighting NY program, visit the program webpage on NYPA's
website.
 
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