NEWBURGH – Streetlights in the City of Newburgh will see considerable improvements thanks to funding from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Smart Street Lighting program.
The program provides assistance to communities to convert existing streetlights to LEDs to save money, provide for better lighting, reduce energy use, and decrease their community’s impact on the environment.
A $75,000 grant will offset the cost of lighting infrastructure for the entire city as well as a maintenance package. The conversion will save the city an estimated 40 percent savings in electric costs. The amount returned to NYPA from the savings will be in a period of five 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 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 the 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.
