BC Hydro LED Street Light Replacement
BC Hydro LED Street Light Replacement
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Port Alberni, BC – With the help of BC Hydro's street light replacement program, the City of Port Alberni will see the replacement of approximately 830 High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) street light bulbs with new LEDs. Starting this June, the old street light bulbs will be updated with more energy-efficient LEDs that will provide better visibility and last significantly longer.
There are a total of 1,819 street lights in the City of Port Alberni. The City owns 764 of these lights and the remaining 1,055 are leased from Hydro as they are mounted on Hydro poles. The City started proactively replacing City-owned 764 HPS lights with LED’s in 2017 and will continue this program until all lights are replaced with LED’s.
Since the program's start in 2020, BC Hydro has been replacing older HPS and Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) lights with energy-efficient LEDs across the province. By the end of 2025, BC Hydro plans to replace more than 95,000 street lights to ensure compliance with federal regulations that require all light ballasts containing Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) to be removed.
What are the benefits of LED street lights?
- They consume about 50% less energy than our current HPS lights.
- LEDs have a significantly longer lifespan. On average, they last three times as long as the current lights, reducing the need and cost for maintenance.
- They help improve public safety by increasing the visibility of sidewalks and roads at night, as well as help reduce light pollution.
- They make it easier to see the contrast between an object and its surroundings. The result is to quickly and more accurately identify people, vehicles, road debris, and other objects on the road or sidewalk.
- They help reduce our carbon footprint.
What will the installation look like for residents?
The installation of the LEDs is expected to have minimal impacts on Port Alberni residents and businesses. Contracted by BC Hydro, J E Electric will begin replacing street lights on June 3, 2021, with an anticipated completion within 20 days. The contractor plans to work seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and during reduced hours on Sundays.
While this work is underway, residents may notice some short-term traffic controls in place when crews are working, but access to streets and lanes is not expected to be an issue. The City asks any affected residents to be patient and to slow down while travelling through work zones.
BC Hydro street light replacement program information and contact
Detailed information about the program is provided on BC Hydro’s program website. BC Hydro has asked that residents direct any questions or concerns to BC Hydro’s project team at LightingSupport@bchydro.com.
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For More Information
BC Hydro
Project Team