Whereas BC Hydro owns a significant percentage of streetlights in BC municipalities, especially in smaller communities, and many of these streetlights still use inefficient incandescent technology despite demonstrated energy and cost savings of 50-70 percent with conversion to LED technology; And whereas local governments are responsible for paying for the ongoing operating cost of BC Hydro-owned street lighting using property tax revenue: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to require BC Hydro to expeditiously replace all streetlights within BC municipalities with LED technology, or provide municipalities with the financial resources necessary to continue paying for the operation of its inefficient streetlights.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources BC Hydro owns and maintains approximately 95,000 of about 350,000 streetlights across BC. BC Hydro is working on an LED streetlight deployment plan, and is planning to seek approval from their Board of Directors for the program in February 2020. In the summer of 2019, BC Hydro started a process for selecting a supplier for LED streetlights and photocells, as well as for the required field installation services. BC Hydro anticipates starting to install LED streetlights in summer of 2020, with the conversion taking place over the following two to three years. The details of new street lighting rates will not be known until BC Hydro completes its procurement process and confirms the final LED streetlight costs to be included in an application to the BC Utilities Commission BCUC. The final LED streetlight rates will require BCUC approval. BC Hydro will be finalizing its approach to the BCUC in the spring 2020. A deployment schedule will be developed in collaboration with the installation vendors. BC Hydro will provide a high-level schedule online and will contact and coordinate with customers months in advance of the work beginning in their communities.
BC Hydro There are approximately 95,000 BC Hydro-owned and maintained streetlights to be replaced. Since LED streetlights are expected to last about 20 years, we need to make sure that BC Hydro selects the appropriate types of LED streetlights to meet the demands of our customers and our organization. As a regulated utility, BC Hydro must apply to the BC Utilities Commission for changes to the rates we charge for streetlighting service. We anticipate making an application in spring 2020 with respect to streetlighting rates and encourage customers to participate in the process. More information about streetlights, the replacement program and program updates can be found at www.bchydro.comstreetlights