Pittsfield Begins LED Streetlight Conversion

The process of converting the City of Pittsfield's street lights to LED's begin today according to Mayor's office.

The City Council had approved $3 million for the project back in 2017 and 30 percent of the installation cost is expected to be paid through a Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources grant. In fall 2017, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration announced a $260,227 award to the city for the project.

An estimated 5,000 fixtures in the city will be converted to LED as part of this project., and work started on Onota Street and will continue through the Westside and Morningside neighborhoods, with a focus on higher wattage fixtures on the main roads. This work will then be followed by installation of lower-wattage fixtures on side streets.

Though the exact energy savings haven't been determined yet, early projections estimated the switch to more energy-efficient bulbs will reduce bills by around $250,000 per year.