Newburgh to Receive Smart Street Lighting

NEWBURGH – Street lights in the City of Newburgh will see considerable improvements thanks to funding from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Smart Street Lighting program. In early June City Council approved the pursuit of grant funds for this purpose in the amount of $75,000. The program provides assistance with converting existing streetlight systems to energy-efficient LEDs to enable municipalities to save taxpayer dollars, provide better lighting to their community, reduce energy use, and decrease their community’s impact on the environment.

The grant will offset the cost of lighting infrastructure for the entire City as well as a maintenance package. The conversion will enable an estimated 40% savings in electric costs. The amount returned to NYPA from the savings will be in a period of 5 to 10 years. After this period, the savings will be retained by the City of Newburgh.

The new lighting will feature energy-efficient LED bulbs that can be promptly adjusted by staff from a remote location. Lighting intensity and color can be varied to suit the needs of different outdoor spaces such as sidewalks, residential streets, business districts, and parking lots. Adjustments can be made instantly in response to a nighttime event or occurrence, such as a street festival or vehicle accident.

Staff and elected officials are exploring add-on features for the lighting poles that include City-wide Wi-Fi capabilities and reproduction of historic poles. The transition will begin with an inventory of existing lighting and is structured to add no extra cost to the City’s current expenses for street lighting and electricity. Full upgrades for public parking lots and Delano-Hitch Park will be prioritized. The final design of infrastructure is expected at the end of 2020. Construction is anticipated to begin by mid-spring 2021.

Municipalities in New York State that have received full-scale LED streetlight options through NYPA include Clarkstown, Orangetown, and Pelham. NYPA is currently upgrading streetlights in the City of Kingston.

The Smart Street Lighting program was announced by Governor Cuomo in 2018 and is available to all municipalities across New York State. The initiative aims for the conversion of 500,000 street lights to LED technology by 2025 and will help communities in New York reduce energy consumption, save taxpayers $87 million annually, and reduce greenhouse gas—supporting the State’s goal for 40% reduction of emissions by 2030.

Learn more about NYPA’s Smart Street Lighting program at https://www.nypa.gov/services/customer-energy-solutions/smart-street-lighting-ny.