LED Street Lights and Retrofit Project

Foster City Completes 100% Conversion of Street Lights to Energy Efficient LEDs

At the City Council meeting on June 3, 2013, Ms. Kathy Lavezzo, Account Representative from PG&E, presented a ceremonial rebate check in the amount of $171,750 to the City Council for successfully completing the LED Street Lights Retrofit project. According to Ms. Lavezzo, Foster City and East Palo Alto are the only two cities in San Mateo County to have converted 100% of the street lights to energy efficient LEDs.

The LED Street Lights Retrofit project was completed in two phases. Phase 1, completed in February 2011, covers street lights north of SR-92. Phase 1 included 269 lights, and the entire cost of $157,426 was paid for by a grant received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more commonly known as the Federal Economic Stimulus program. Ms. Lavezzo presented a ceremonial rebate check in the amount of $33,825 to the City Council on March 7, 2011. Success of Phase 1 prompted the City to apply for additional ARRA grant funding when it became available, to complete the rest of the City. Phase 2 totaled 1,762 lights, and it was completed in March 2013. Phase 2 was funded by the ARRA grant in the amount of $747,939, the City's contribution of $150,000 set aside for the project, and a 0% interest loan from PG&E, also known as On-Bill Financing (OBF), in the amount of $196,000. The repayment of the OBF loan comes from the energy savings from the street lights converted using OBF funds.

LED lights have a smaller environmental footprint, last longer (20 years versus 5 years for traditional lamps), and use less energy. Ms. Lavezzo also provided the following table summarizing the project information, energy and cost savings, and CO_² reductions expected from the project.