Chehalis, WA – The Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) recently completed a multi-year project to swap out its existing security and street lighting for more efficient and cost-effective LED lighting. The energy efficiency project will provide customers with better quality light at lower costs with longer life expectancy of the lighting fixtures.
The project started in 2021 to replace approximately 2,500 security and street lighting fixtures with new LED lights that are over 50% more energy efficient while producing a higher quality light and longer lasting equipment. Lewis County PUD Commissioners approved a rate class in 2021 to reduce the monthly charge for the new light fixtures to incentivize our customers to make the change.
The PUD utilized funding from the Bonneville Power Administration to offset project costs. The PUD received approximately $244,000 through BPA energy efficiency incentives, reducing the cost of materials by nearly 50%.
“It is exciting to provide better lighting to our community while also being more efficient and cost-effective,” said PUD General Manager David Plotz. “We continue to look for ways to serve our community and save our ratepayers money.”
The improved efficiency of the new LED lighting provides the PUD with energy savings totaling nearly 1.1 million kilowatt-hours per year. This savings is enough energy to power approximately 65 residential homes for a year over the life of the new LED lighting. These energy savings help the PUD to meet its biannual targets for energy savings.
The PUD offers a security lighting service where lights can be installed on existing utility poles.
For low-lumen LED fixtures, the cost is $0.27 per day or about $8.10 per month. That’s compared to previous low-lumen HPS lights, which cost $11.38 per month.
For high-lumen LED fixtures, the cost is $0.37 per day or about $11.10 per month. That’s compared to previous high-lumen HPS lights, which cost $15.24 per month.
LED lights produce higher foot candles (a measure of light produced that reaches surfaces), better illuminate colors of objects, and last longer which means the PUD will spend fewer resources maintaining them.
Customers interested in a monthly flat-rate security lighting service should call the PUD engineering department at (360) 748-9261 for more information or visit Engineering Applications Page
About Lewis County Public Utility District
Lewis County PUD is a community-owned, locally governed utility providing power services and telecommunications infrastructure to approximately 35,000 customers throughout most of Lewis County and adjacent communities.