LED Street Light Pilot Program

90-Day Test of New Technology 

OPPD is working with the City of Omaha to determine if a new street light technology lives up to advertised energy savings and safety. 

The OPPD Street Light Pilot Project will evaluate the performance of six LED (Light Emitting Diode) street lights installed from 45th to 46th on Woolworth Street.

The test program, which will run for 90 days,  represents just a tiny sample of the 96,000 street lights in OPPD's 13-county service territory.

Officials hope to learn if the new street lights deliver a level of illumination adequate for public safety while consuming about 50 percent less power than standard High Pressure Sodium street lights. 

If it is found that the LEDs provide acceptable lighting, the units will be purchased and undergo further study for durability, reliability and maintenance. Similar tests may be conducted in one or two other areas of the city.

The test program is part of OPPD's sustainability effort to use resources as wisely as possible.

About LEDs

• The LED street light industry is evolving rapidly. A new generation of improved LED street lights is developed about every 12 months.
  
• An LED street light costs four times as much as a regular street light, but the cost is coming down.
  

Advantages of LEDs

• Less maintenance.
• More efficient. A conventional High Pressure Sodium light bulb draws about 117 watts, while an LED uses about half as much. OPPD estimates 82 million kilowatt-hours of electricity will be used next year to light streets in its territory.