Garland Power & Light has started a seven-year program to upgrade all of its existing streetlights to LED streetlights. The new lights will consume about one-third the energy of the old high-pressure sodium streetlights and have a significantly increased life span, reducing energy costs and maintenance.
Improvements in the quality of light will also be seen – the new lights produce a soft white light that shows true colors, rather than the amber light of the old streetlights. The program will also help to beautify the community by giving GP&L’s streetlights a more modern and consistent look throughout Garland.
Streetlight replacement has been prioritized based on the age of the streetlight infrastructure. In general, older streetlight circuits will be upgraded first. Replacement will begin in the southern part of Garland and move north. Median and thoroughfare lights are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021, and residential lights by the end of 2022. In each area, the median and thoroughfare lights will be changed out first, followed by the residential streetlights. (See Projected LED Conversion Timeline.)
Along with the upgraded lights, GP&L has a new operations management system for the LED streetlights, which will automatically alert GP&L of outages or other issues.
More information: Elizabeth Kimbrough, electric communications manager, ekimbrough@gpltexas.org.
About GP&L: Since 1923, the city of Garland has been providing electric service to its citizens through Garland Power & Light, its locally owned and controlled nonprofit municipal utility. With more than 69,000 customers, it is the fourth largest municipal utility in Texas and the 41st largest in the nation. GP&L is recognized nationally as a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3®) and as a Tree Line USA Utility.
Mission of GP&L: To provide high quality, safe and reliable electric service at competitive rates to the citizens and businesses of the city of Garland through the efforts of a professional and dedicated workforce, and to enhance the quality of life in the city by creating a utility environment that supports economic development.
Information and photo provided by GP&L.