By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch LED streetlights are a hot commodity in Washington, thanks to efforts by government and utilities that are helping Eatonville and other small towns install the money and energy-saving lights at no cost to the cities. Smaller municipalities with populations of 5,000 or less have lagged nationwide in LED conversion because they can't afford the initial capital expense. But the ones in Washington have a combined 40,000 streetlights, so the need is high. That's where Relight Washington comes in. The new program, the result of an agreement proposed by Washington's Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), provide funding for LED fixtures and installation costs. The Town of Eatonville has gone LED on its streets after applying for and receiving a TIB grant. Workers have started installing the new lights, which is good for the town's bottom line, Mayor Mike Schaub noted. "The LED lights consume approximately 60 percent less electricity than the standard street light,GÇ¥ Schaub said. "Over the long term, this will greatly reduce the power usage to light the town.GÇ¥ He credited town staffers Kerri Murphy and Dan Sharpe for their work on writing and submitting the grant application that "led to us receiving the grant funds.GÇ¥ Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED (light-emitting diode) lights consume less energy, last longer and are smaller. They work by moving electrons through semiconductor material. The TIB first tested 2,000 LED streetlights in six small cities in 2013. A return-on-investment study found that energy, maintenance and environmental benefits would return more than twice the installation cost over 15 years. As a result, the TIB proposed and funded a statewide program that began last summer and will continue until all streetlights in small towns are LEDs. The effort follows a call in 2014 by Governor Jay Inslee to update street lights as part of the state's overall energy strategy. Puget Sound Energy in western Washington and Avista Utilities in eastern Washington are helping offset funding for the Relight Washington program. The state also provides grants to cities and counties through the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Enterprise Services qualifies utilities to assist and finance the conversion to LED streetlights. "We are moving small cities to the front of the LED line because they need the savings the most,GÇ¥ said Steve Gorcester, executive director of TIB. TIB has 21 members GÇô six representing cities, six representing counties, two State Department of Transportation officials, and representatives of mass-transit, the private sector, ports, the governor's office, non-motorized transportation and special-needs transportation. Members are appointed by the state's transportation secretary. The board manages state grants to cities and counties for projects that are partially or fully funded by the state. The money comes from the state fuel tax and driver's license renewal fees.
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