April 18, 2011

Nova Scotia’s roads and highways will soon be lit exclusively with LED lighting, saying this will reduce energy costs and lower greenhouse-gas and mercury emissions. Premier Darrell Dexter announced today in Amherst that the province will introduce legislation to mandate the use of energy-efficient lighting across the province.

“Nova Scotia will become the only province or state in North America to ensure only LED streetlights are used on its roadways,” said Dexter. “The switch to LED streetlights is just another example of what the province is doing to help the country meet its greenhouse-gas emission reduction targets.”

Research by the province and Nova Scotia Power shows that switching to LED lights will create energy savings of more than 50%. When combined with reduced maintenance costs, the estimated annual savings are about $18 million. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30,000 tons, and save a half kilogram of mercury each year.

There are about 120,000 roadway lights in Nova Scotia. Most are owned and operated by Nova Scotia Power, with about 10% that belong to municipalities. The cost of converting to LED lighting is estimated at about $100 million. Nova Scotia Power will apply to the Utility and Review Board to make the investment. Municipalities and Nova Scotia Power will each have five years to complete the conversion.

Last year, the Town of Amherst, Halifax Regional Municipality, Berwick, Canso, Lunenburg, Antigonish and Mahone Bay received funding through the ecoNova Scotia fund to begin converting street lights to LED lighting.

“Converting to LED lighting was a great decision for the Town of Amherst,” said Amherst Mayor Robert Small. “We expect to save approximately $85,000 this year alone in energy and maintenance costs. And over the 20-year life span of the LED lights, we expect savings to be in excess of $2.3 million. This is great news for the taxpayers in our municipality. Plus, we can feel good knowing that we are doing our bit to make the air we breathe cleaner.”

Earlier this year, the province announced it was converting 2500 high-pressure sodium highway lights to LED lights. A Nova Scotia supplier of LED streetlights, LED Roadway Lighting Limited in Amherst, is the manufacturer of those lights.