LED vs HPS Street Light

Lewis County PUD is excited to announce that beginning in February 2021 and continuing through 2022, existing PUD-owned high-pressure sodium street light fixtures will be replaced with new, low-cost, energy-efficient LED street light fixtures. LED street light fixtures have many benefits, including:

  • Cost & Energy Efficient. LED lights will be cheaper for the customer to operate than existing high-pressure sodium vapor (HPS) light fixtures. LEDs are extremely energy efficient relative to every other commercially available lighting technology.
  • Better Light Quality.
    • Directional Light: LED lights can better target the areas which need lighting, whereas high-pressure sodium does not offer such flexibility.
    • Brighter: LED lights produce higher foot candles, a measure of the amount of light produced that reaches surfaces.
    • More Natural Light: LED has a pleasing Color Rendering Index (CRI) range, which means light can clearly illuminate/project the colors of objects.
  • Lower PUD Maintenance. LEDs last longer than any light source commercially available on the market, which means that the PUD won’t need to spend as much time and money on maintenance and repairs. These cost savings are passed onto customers in the form of reduced security light rates.
When will my area receive the LED street light conversion?

Click on map image to View Full Resolution Map (PDF)

Schedule of Project Phases

LED street light conversions will be phased according to the substation which serves them. Please reference the map above to identify the substation which serves your area.

Conversion ScheduleSubstationConversion Schedule
ChehalisIndustrial ParkFebruary 2021
ChehalisMaurinFebruary 2021
MortonMortonFebruary 2021
ChehalisWilliamFebruary 2021
ElbeElbeMarch/April 2021
ChehalisFairviewMarch/April 2021
ChehalisMainMarch/April 2021
CentraliaFords PrairieNov. 2021-March 2022
ChehalisForestJan.-March 2022
GlenomaGlenomaMay-Sept. 2021
OnalaskaLeonard RoadJan.-March 2022
MossyrockMossyrockSept.-Dec. 2021
NapavineNapavineSept.-Dec. 2021
PackwoodPackwoodSept.-Dec. 2021
Pe EllPe EllJan.-March 2022
RandleRandleMay-Sept. 2021
Silver CreekSalkumSept.-Dec. 2021
ToledoToledoSept.-Dec. 2021
VaderVaderMay-Sept. 2021
WinlockWinlockMay-Sept. 2021
What is an LED light fixture?

LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than other light sources. An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light.

When will my area receive the security light conversion?

The PUD will replace existing fixtures with the new LED fixtures according to a project schedule organized by substation. The project schedule will be updated on this page and included in the quarterly customer newsletter. Please Note: Municipal street lights will be converted in 2022.

What will the new LED light fixtures do to my security light rates I pay?

LED security light rates are cheaper than high-pressure sodium security light rates.

For low lumen (50-watt) LED fixtures, the daily cost will be $0.27 per day, or approximately $8.10 per month. That’s compared to existing 100-watt HPS lights, which costs $11.38 per month.

For high lumen (95-watt) LED fixtures, the daily cost will be $0.37 per day, or approximately $11.10 per month. That’s compared to existing 200-watt HPS lights, which costs $15.24 per month.

I don’t want an LED street light fixture. What are my options?

At the time of conversion, the existing high-pressure sodium light fixture will be removed, whether a new LED light fixture is installed or not. The reason for this is that high-pressure sodium light fixtures and parts for repair are becoming increasingly more difficult to procure. Customers who choose not to receive an LED light conversion may opt to install their own light fixture on their own pole. In which case, the new customer-owned fixture will need to be metered. For more information, please consult Schedule 50 of the 2022 Customer Information Brochure (PDF). To indicate you do not want the LED fixture or that you’d like to install your own light fixture on your own pole, please contact Customer Service using the contact information at the bottom of this page.