Pittsburgh Officials Discuss Replacement of 40,000 Street Lights

Pittsburgh city officials today sought input from a panel of lighting experts on the benefits of switching the city’s 40,000 streetlights to energy-saving light-emitting diodes, or LED lights. Projections show the switch can cut annual lighting costs by about 60 percent and can reduce the city’s carbon footprint by half. City Councilman Bill Peduto says making the change is more than just changing a light bulb, it’s about moving urban lighting into the 21st century. City Council members seemed enthusiastic about the possibility of using new lighting to highlight key buildings and bridges around the city. Councilwoman Darlene Harris says she would love to see the city transformed into a “work of art.” The cost of replacing the lights could run about $25 million dollars, but officials hope annual savings on electricity of about $1.4 million could offset those costs.