Prepared for the Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium, NYSERDA Contract CGC53012, April 2018
Jennifer Metzger, Ph.D (Report Lead), Citizens for Local Power
Nina Orville, Abundant Efficiency LLC
George Woodbury, LightSmart Consulting LLC
Evelyn Wright, Ph.D, Sustainable Energy Economics
to create a more affordable pathway to LED street light conversion for Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Columbia, Greene and Westchester municipalities in the Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Orange & Rockland, New York State Electric & Gas, and Con Edison territories.
Converting to LED street lights has the potential to deliver electricity cost savings of up to 65 percent to municipalities. NYSERDA’s 2014 study, Street Lighting in New York State: Opportunities and Challenges, found that if this were accomplished statewide, an estimated 524 gigawatt hours of electricity and $97 million would be saved annually.
The project is expected to save Mid-Hudson communities more than $6 million in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 42,000 MTCO2e over the next 15 years, if only 20 (fewer than 10 percent) municipalities were to participate.
Municipalities wishing to join the Community Managed RFP should email Pat Courtney Strong, pat@courtneystrong.com.
To take advantage of the Community Managed RFP, please contact pat@courtneystrong.com. Per NYS procurement law, municipalities may “piggyback” on this RFP for a period of up to one year. The lead municipality is the Town of Red Hook in Dutchess County and there are 17 named Participant communities. This is a RFP for installation and optional maintenance, only. To maximize savings, Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium can advise municipalities on how to procure LED lights through the state contracting system. A second RFP, for “turnkey” procurement, installation and optional maintenance of LED street lights, is in final stages of development.
How to Apply
Assistance in understanding LED conversion options is available to all municipalities in the Mid-Hudson region (Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties). To join the Consortium, officials are encouraged to complete the Municipal Membership Application and take our brief Survey, HERE.
Communities are encouraged to connect with their local Clean Energy Community Coordinator for information on money- and energy-savings programs supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
How it Works
Many Mid-Hudson municipalities are eager to convert but encounter hurdles understanding their options and successfully negotiating the outcome they seek. This is where the Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium can help. Support to municipalities that join the Consortium – at no cost – includes:
- A survey of Mid-Hudson municipalities to ascertain which municipalities seek assistance with conversion to LED streetlights, and what types of assistance are desired.
- LED Streetlight Conversion in New York: A Common Sense Guide for Local Governments in the Mid-Hudson Region, a report commissioned by NYSERDA to explore the savings possible across New York State when municipalities convert to LED street lights. Read the report.
- Information and support for municipal streetlight audits. Audits verify currently installed equipment and may allow for utility refunds for past overcharges and/or support evaluations of appropriate replacement equipment.
- LED procurement support, including model Requests For Proposals (RFPs) that address furnishing, installation and maintenance appropriate to each utility territory to streamline the procurement process for interested municipalities. This will include support for an aggregated procurement process to capture volume pricing discounts for interested municipalities.
- Existing street light purchase support. This includes information and analysis regarding streetlight buyout terms being offered by the various utilities to individual municipalities.
- Examples of Municipal Street Light Buyout Agreements:
- Sample Resolutions:
- WEBINARS: Click HERE for the Consortium’s ongoing series, in which we provide in-depth information on the economic and technology considerations of LED street light conversion.
- Analysis of Utility LED Tariffs:
- Central Hudson Gas & Electric – Ulster County – CASE – 15E0745
- Central Hudson Gas & Electric – CASE – 16E0616
- New York State Electric & Gas – CASE – 16E0710
- Orange and Rockland Utilities – CASE – 15E0749
- Additional Resources:
- An Investigation of LED Street Lighting’s Impact on Sky Glow (U.S. Dept of Energy)
- Street Lighting and Blue Light FAQs (U.S. Dept of Energy)
- IES Board Position on AMA CSAPH Report
- MHSC Template Request for Information for Street Light Purchase
- CSS Street Lighting Project: Review of the class and quality of street lighting
- Energies: LED (Light-Emitting Diode) Road Lighting in Practice: An Evaluation of Compliance with Regulations and Improvements for Further Energy Savings
- Additional Resources/Westchester:
- NYPA Smart Street Lighting Kick Off Meeting- March 29, 2018
- LED Street Light Webinars
- Westchester LED Streetlight Conversion Strategies
- Village of Scarsdale LED Pilot Program
- Scarsdale Mini Pilot Pole Locations
- Scarsdale LED Streetlight Pilot Program Launch Meeting Memo
- Scarsdale Report provided to the board providing update from the demo sites and proposal for the next phase (pilot on high traffic roads and locations w/ town and county fixtures)
- Scarsdale Overview of Financial Model
- Workshop: LED Streetlight Procurement Workshop (held on November 30th, 2016)
Deadline
The Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium will provide technical assistance at no charge to municipalities that participate in its aggregated procurement offerings. After mid-2018, municipalities may still be able to piggyback on the Requests for Proposal that were initiated by the Consortium, but there can be no assurance they will receive technical assistance.
Contact
Sign up for updates on the Consortium’s activities, including LED street light procurement offerings:
For questions and/or to join the Consortium, email Pat Courtney-Strong at pat@courtneystrong.com.