San Diego City Council Stalls Vote on New Energy-Saving Streetlights

On October 19, the San Diego City Council moved to further analyze the adoption of an ordinance and resolution that would authorize issuance of $13 million in “Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds” to pay for more than 38,000 broad-spectrum streetlights. The bonds would finance replacement of existing lighting structures that use low/high-pressure sodium lights.

“The Gaslamp Quarter has had these durable broad-spectrum lights for more than 12 years,” said Tom Blair, an energy administrator for the City’s Environmental Services Department.

According to Blair, federal stimulus funds and $3 million available in state Energy Efficiency Community Block Grants allowed for the replacement of only 10,000 lights. The bonds will complete the funding for the project, allowing it to move forward.

A savings of $1.2 million annually is expected from the energy-efficient lights and will be used to pay back the bonds, said Blair. The proposed replacement plan seeks to phase in the new lights with the savings as they are realized.

The San Diego City Council stalled on voting to adopt the measure, moving to wait until the City returned analysis on how the new lights will affect maintenance crews currently assigned to upkeep the sodium lights.