Since early 2009, Los Angeles has installed 147,704 Dark Sky Association-approved LED street lights. That created a 63.3 percent reduction in street lighting energy use and $7.7 million in annual savings.<\/p>\n
During that time, NorthWestern Energy fought petitions to the Montana Public Service Commission seeking energy-use reductions.\u00a0Our current petition provides a way to pay for the LED retrofit while also cutting taxes and energy rates.<\/p>\n
We ask the PSC to eliminate an \u201cownership\u201d overcharge. It is costing Montanans more than $2.1 million a year. We also seek a refund of approximately $25 million in past overcharges. That\u2019s more than enough money to implement energy-efficient LED technology.<\/p>\n
NorthWestern Energy moved to strike much written, under-oath testimony that we\u2019ve pre-filed in the case. Some is by Seattle City Light\u2019s Edward Smalley, former director of the Department of Energy\u2019s Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium.<\/p>\n
He testified that to purchase 2,000 LED streetlights in 2009, Seattle spent $369 per luminaire. Today a better performing unit costs around $150 when replacing luminaires in residential areas.<\/p>\n
NWE also moved to strike part of petitioner Leo Barsanti\u2019s testimony. Barsanti calculated that between May 30, 2010, and Sept. 8, 2013, NorthWestern will have overcharged taxpayers $28,352 in his Billings Street Improvement Lighting & Maintenance District (SILMD #228).<\/p>\n
That is $977 per light for each of the 29 lights in his SILMD. It\u2019s way more than the cost to re-lamp with LEDs. Should NWE be allowed to prevent us all from knowing that?<\/p>\n
As of Jan. 1, 2014, Seattle City Light had saved its street lighting customers $2.6 million per year in energy and maintenance costs by converting to LED lighting. Smalley anticipates yearly savings will approach $4-5 million once all 86,000 Seattle cobrahead, decorative and higher wattage arterial roadway and bridge lights are converted to LED.<\/p>\n
Then, all municipal electricity use will have been reduced by 24 percent. Good to know, since Smalley also notes that in many towns, payment for energy to light streets consumes 37 to 50 percent, or even more, of the municipal budget.<\/p>\n
Seattle City Light estimated energy and maintenance savings will pay for the replacements in 7.6 years. It\u2019s shorter than the 10-year warranty Seattle\u2019s bid document requires.
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