September 13, 2017

Dear Editor,

As of this writing, the conversion of all Quincy streetlights and city-owned floodlights to super-efficient LEDs is more than one-third complete. Quincy Climate Action Network applauds Mayor Koch for this important achievement. Between savings on the city’s electric bill, savings on streetlight maintenance, and incentives from the state and National Grid, the LED conversion will pay for itself in less than six years. After that, the estimated $400,000-plus in annual savings will go into the pockets of taxpayers.

The project will also save more than 2 million kilowatt hours per year, and spare us the effects of the climate-changing greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants that would have resulted from the production of all that electric power. In a time of unprecedented violent weather and federal government retreat from climate action, it’s just the kind of project all municipalities should undertake.

Even greater savings, both in money and greenhouse gas emissions, can be realized if we all take to heart the city’s example and convert our own lamps and lighting fixtures to LED bulbs. With some local stores selling LEDs for a dollar each or even less, LEDs in fixtures that are used for an average of three hours a day will save enough electricity to pay for themselves in less than two months, and that’s not even accounting for the extra long life of LEDs—21 times the life of an average incandescent bulb.

It’s hard to think of a better deal for our pocketbooks or the environment.

David Reich
Board Chair, Quincy Climate Action Network