Council approves agreement to convert FPL streetlights to LED, discusses undergrounding options
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Summary
Punta Gorda approved moving forward with an FPL conversion to LED for about 1,500 city-area streetlights with no upfront conversion cost and expected reductions in energy use; FPL described undergrounding programs that may require customer or city funding.
City council voted to authorize staff to move forward with an agreement with Florida Power & Light to convert roughly 1,500 FPL‑owned streetlights in Punta Gorda from high‑pressure sodium to LED fixtures.
Eric Hoeing from FPL’s LED Lighting Solutions team told council the program carries no upfront conversion cost for the city and would reduce energy consumption and monthly lighting charges by moving fixtures to the LT‑1 tariff rate. Hoeing said crews could install about 35 fixtures per day, and a project agreement received by Dec. 1 could be substantially complete by June 1, with implementation beginning in March.
Hoeing highlighted safety and resiliency benefits from higher color rendering index LEDs and a 3,000‑Kelvin color temperature that adheres to International Dark Sky Association guidance; he also said the LED cobra‑head fixtures have zero uplight BUG rating. Charlotte Miller of FPL External Affairs explained undergrounding options: a Storm Secure program that FPL funds when it targets feeders for reliability, and customer‑funded neighborhood undergrounding programs that typically use MSBU/MSTU or upfront customer payment for private requests.
Council approved a motion to provide an agreement with FPL and proceed with final design and implementation steps. Staff will return with a draft agreement and a proposed implementation schedule and timeline for council records.
