(New York Power Authority)Public power utility New York Power Authority announced yesterday that it has partnered with Port Jefferson to install more than 1,000 streetlights in the village.
The nearly $2.4 million upgrade, implemented and financed by the Power Authority, saw more than 1,100 decorative and cobra head style street lights replaced throughout the village with energy-saving LED fixtures. Additionally, the village has installed SMART technology throughout their community to enhance public safety and manage the village more efficiently. As part of the project, the Power Authority replaced more than 700 additional interior and exterior lighting fixtures at village buildings and parks. NYPA provided Port Jefferson with $225,000 in SMART city funding grants to support the project, which began in October 2020.
Port Jefferson will benefit from a new asset management system to monitor and control the entire streetlight system, providing localized dimming options and outage reporting. The project also included the installation of flood and ice detection sensors on various streets throughout the village. The new fixtures include individual hubs for future SMART technology additions.
This project represents one of many under the state’s Smart Street Lighting NY initiative, which aims to replace half a million street lights with LED technology by 2025. Municipalities that have already converted to LED streetlights in collaboration with NYPA include Albany, Utica, Rochester, Syracuse, and White Plains, among others. In September, the New York State government announced that it was ahead of schedule, having already replaced more than 286,000 of streetlights throughout the state with energy-efficient LEDs.
Commenting on the initiative, NYPA Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Sarah Salati stated,
“Smart Street Lighting NY offers municipalities a common-sense, fiscally responsible energy solution that upgrades critical infrastructure and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Along with reducing New York’s carbon footprint, additional benefits of LEDs, which are 50% to 65% more efficient than alternative street lighting options, include improved lighting quality and by extension neighborhood safety, as well as reduced energy costs and maintenance needs. The lights also accommodate SMART technology, which can be used for dozens of other functions, such as cameras and other safety features, weather sensors, Wi-Fi and energy meters.
The initiative, begun in 2018, is furthering New York State’s goal of reducing electricity consumption by 3% per year between now and 2025. The state is on track to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality.
