West Covina has begun converting 8,193 streetlights in the city to LED lighting.
The streetlights are owned by Southern California Edison, which is replacing the lighting at no cost to customers, according to a city staff report. However, to defray those costs, the city’s energy cost savings are expected to be about $65,000 annually for 20 years and $200,000 a year in subsequent years.
“It saves money, saves power and it’s a great project,” City Manager David Carmany said. “What’s not to like?”
An Edison contractor is converting about 300 streetlights per day and is set to finish all of them by year’s end, Carmany said.
Residential streets will get softer light at 3,000 Kelvin and main thoroughfares will get brighter light at 4,000 Kelvin, according to the staff report.
West Covina owns about 800 of its own streetlights. The city has purchased LED lights and is in the process of converting them.
La Verne engaged in a similar partnership with Edison in April. However, instead of a 20-year payment plan, La Verne paid Edison $750,000 for the new lights and its contractor $750,000 for audit and retrofitting work.
As a result, La Verne’s expected annual energy cost savings is $150,000, Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Dan Keesey said.
La Verne was able to purchase and assume ownership of the 2,000 Edison street lights in its city thanks to a change in California Public Utilities Commission policy in 2017. With control of the streetlights, La Verne was hoping to create a new revenue stream by leasing space on the polls to cellphone carriers for micro cells to accommodate 5G service, Keesey said.
Carmany took advantage of this policy change while he was city manager of La Puente to allow the city to purchase 1,421 street lights. However, that same opportunity was not available today for West Covina, he said.