November 5, 2009

ELMIRA -- It may get a little brighter at night on the streets of Elmira.
     City council will vote Monday to apply for a $700,000 state grant for more LED street lights.
     As we first told you back in August, city crews installed the energy-efficient bulbs in Mark Twain Riverside Park.  Since then, the city has tested different types of LED lights on the Lake Street Bridge, Brand Park, and Euclid Avenue.
     LEDs produce brighter and whiter light than the old incandescents, and they use a lot less wattage.
     The city expects to save thousands of dollars on electric bills.
     “We’re paying half a million dollars in energy every year.  If we can cut that in half or a third, it really keeps us moving forward.  The LEDs are 'green' also.  They'll have a fairly long life,” said Elmira public works director, Andy Avery.
     Avery expects to know if the city gets the grant by early next year.