Baker-Polito Administration Announces $11.4 Million for Municipal LED Streetlight Conversion Program
BOSTON – December 13, 2016 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $11.4
million in grant funding opportunities to help cities and towns across Massachusetts
convert traditional streetlights to LED technology through the Department of Energy
Resources (DOER) Rapid LED Streetlight Conversion Program. DOER has partnered with
the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale
Electric Company (MMWEC), Energy New England (ENE), and four Municipal Light Plant
(MLP) communities to administer the grant funding to municipalities that currently
own their traditional streetlights and expedite streetlight conversions.
«Investing in LED streetlight conversions will lead to reduced energy costs and
better road safety for motorists and municipalities across Massachusetts,» said
Governor Charlie Baker. «The partnership between the Commonwealth and our regional
planning authorities and municipal light plants will help maximize the positive
benefits of this grant funding.»
«Converting municipally owned streetlights into energy efficient LEDs will help
cities and towns across the Commonwealth realize thousands of dollars in annual
energy savings while reducing emissions,» said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.
«LED streetlights help reduce energy usage during peak demand times, lessening the
burden on our regional electric grid and reducing costs for all ratepayers.»
LED streetlights are more energy efficient and longer-lasting than other common
street lighting technologies; converting saves cities and towns money both on their
electric bills and in operations and maintenance. LEDs offer a number of other
advantages as well, including improved visibility, reduced light pollution, and the
ability to install advanced controls such as dimming, remote control, and Wi-Fi
capability. DOER’s partner organizations, with guidance from the agency, will
procure streetlights in bulk on behalf of participating cities and towns, reducing
the up-front cost of conversion.
«Governor Baker’s Executive Order on climate change strategy emphasizes the
Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to reducing energy usage and emissions in
order to prepare for the effects of climate change across Massachusetts,» said
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. «By converting tens of
thousands of streetlights from traditional bulbs to highly efficient LEDs, the
Commonwealth and our municipal partners will take another important step towards
meeting our Global Warming Solutions Act emissions reduction goals.»
«Traditional streetlights have a major impact on peak demand during the winter
months, with the sun setting earlier and rising later, which increases the demand on
our regional energy grid,» said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith
Judson. «Our municipal partners across the Commonwealth will once again lead the
charge for greater energy efficiency that will result in reduced costs, usage, and
emissions across Massachusetts.»
The following MLPs and communities have applied for grants to convert their
streetlights to LED. MLPs were able to apply through a regional partnership or
directly to DOER. The application process in the Metropolitan Area Planning Council
region remains open.
Regional Partnership
Regional Partnership
Independent MLPs
Regional Partnership
MMWEC
Energy New England (ENE)
MAPC
MLP Communities
MLP Communities
MLP Communities
Communities
Boylston
Concord
Wellesley
*Application Process Ongoing
Chicopee
Danvers
Westfield
Holden
Georgetown
Belmont
Ipswich
Groveland
Boxboro
Mansfield
Hingham
Marblehead
Hudson
Paxton
Merrimac
Peabody
Middleborough(Middleborough)
Princeton
Middleborough(Lakeville)
Shrewsbury
Middleton
South Hadley
North Attleboro
Templeton
Norwood
Wakefield
West Boylston
Hull
Holyoke
Russell
Massachusetts ratepayers will also see benefits from converting the Commonwealth’s
streetlights to LED models, in addition to the direct benefits that cities and towns
receive. Streetlights are operational during early morning and late afternoon during
the winter months. These are hours of peak electric demand, and high demand for
natural gas for both electric generation and home heating during these hours leads
to higher energy prices. Converting streetlights to LED technology, which uses up to
60% less energy than standard streetlights, can decrease demand and lead to lower
prices.
«Supporting municipal efforts to transition to efficient LED streetlights is a
thoughtful and economical approach to increasing energy efficiency, improving public
safety, and promoting long-term energy cost reductions in our cities and towns,»
said State Senator Don Humason (R-Westfield). «Thank you to the Baker-Polito
Administration, and specifically Secretary Beaton and Commissioner Judson, for
awarding this funding to the cities of Holyoke and Westfield, and the town of
Russell.»
«I am excited to see the administrations continued investment in reducing energy
usage and emissions and am thankful for their focus here in Western Massachusetts,»
said State Representative Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke).
Governor Baker recently signed an Executive
Order
which lays out a comprehensive approach to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
safeguard residents, municipalities and businesses from the impacts of climate
change, and build a more resilient Commonwealth.
«We applaud the Baker-Polito Administration for their commitment to our Municipal
Light Plant (MLP) communities,» said John Tzimorangas, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Energy New England (ENE), LLC. «The assistance and outreach by DOER has
resulted in a true partnership with the MLP community and we at Energy New England
are proud to be coordinating those efforts. Our communities will be helping the
Commonwealth to achieve significant greenhouse gas reduction numbers because of this
outstanding program»
«Technology is constantly expanding the opportunities for energy efficiency, and the
DOER’s LED streetlight conversion grant program enables our member municipal
utilities to bring this technology and a higher level of energy efficiency to the
communities they serve,» said Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company
(MMWEC) Chief Executive Officer Ronald C. DeCurzio. «MMWEC appreciates the
opportunity to work with the DOER on this program, which along with other MMWEC and
state initiatives is bringing the Commonwealth closer to achieving its clean energy
objectives.»
«Over the past few years, MAPC has helped 25 communities in Massachusetts to
retrofit over 60,000 streetlights with energy-efficient LED fixtures, bringing down
their utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions significantly,» said Rebecca Davis,
Deputy Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). «We are proud to partner
with DOER on this program, and look forward to guiding many more municipalities
through the retrofit process.»
Led by Commissioner Judith Judson, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
(DOER) develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy,
security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s energy supply to
create a clean, affordable and resilient energy future. To that end, DOER strives to
ensure deployment of all cost-effective energy efficiency, maximize development of
clean energy resources, create and implement energy strategies to assure reliable
supplies and improve the cost of clean energy relative to fossil-fuel based
generation and support Massachusetts’ clean energy companies and spur Massachusetts’
clean energy employment. DOER is an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs (EEA).