MALDEN — Work has begun on a streetlight replacement project that could save the city up to $250,000 annually in energy costs.
The project includes replacing more than 3,400 streetlights citywide with new lights equipped with LED technology.
With the potential to save nearly $300,000 a year with the new lights, the energy cost savings alone could pay for the city’s share of the project in about two years, according to Mayor Gary Christenson.
The project will cost $1.2 million, city officials said. The city will receive a $201,320 grant from the state through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Rapid LED Streetlight Conversion Program. The city’s cost will be further reduced by an additional $187,000 from the state’s Department of Energy Resources (DOER), which supports municipal projects which directly reduce energy spending.
Last week, crews from Coviello Electric began replacing the street lights.
City Councilor-at-Large Craig Spadafora, who chairs the city’s Energy Efficiency Commission, has been collaborating with the mayor since 2012 to plan the light project.
Malden first got serious about the energy improvements with a buyback agreement on the city’s streetlights with their original owner, National Grid. With the help of the MAPC, the city secured a $20,000 grant for an investment audit of the city’s streetlights which promised guaranteed savings,” according to Spadafora.
“It’s been a productive year for the Energy Efficiency Commission,” he said. “This project, along with Malden, recently achieved a Green Community designation and has put us on the map to setting the standard for energy efficiency.”
Malden’s Strategic Planning Analyst Ron Hogan said the streetlights will be installed within 90 days.
“This is a great initiative for the city of Malden and its residents,” Christenson said in a statement.
