Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Streetlights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Middleton sustainability committee presses for faster streetlight LED conversion; utility cites labor limits
Summary
Committee members pushed Madison Gas and Electric to accelerate LED conversions of utility-owned streetlights, citing community energy goals and an estimated $22,000 annual saving for city-owned fixtures; MG&E said it replaces lights as they fail and faces labor and bandwidth limits for mass replacements.
The Middleton Sustainability Committee on July 15 pressed Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E) to speed conversion of streetlights to LEDs as city staff outlined grants and cost estimates.
Kelly (sustainability coordinator) told the committee the city is pursuing a grant to replace roughly 500 city-owned street lights and has applied for a separate 2025 grant to convert about 300 additional fixtures in neighborhoods such as Middleton Hills and Northlake. Kelly said converting all city-owned fixtures would save the city roughly $22,000 a year in operating costs and that the city is coordinating with MG&E to standardize fixture types.
Guy Griffin of Madison Gas and Electric said the utility typically replaces its lights with LED fixtures as units fail, and that a rapid, wholesale replacement is constrained by labor and crew bandwidth rather than funding. He offered to research specific contract and ownership details for Middleton’s streetlight accounts and to report back to the committee.
Several committee members, including Kermit, expressed frustration with what they described as prior assurances that MG&E would complete conversions in six to eight years and said that timeline undermines Middleton’s municipal energy reduction goals. Kermit also raised a concern about the optics of a utility whose revenues fall as energy consumption declines, an assertion Griffin acknowledged as a common perception and countered by describing MG&E’s investments to raise renewable generation to about 40% of its fuel mix.
Kelly said the city has $150,000 set aside from a prior council allocation to support more streetlight conversions and has applied separately for a $158,000 grant; she expects grant results in September. She recommended the committee and staff continue conversations with MG&E about faster coordination and possible matching or grant support if the utility needs help with labor or contractor costs.
Next steps: Kelly will follow up with MG&E on Middleton’s specific streetlight ownership and rate structure, report back on the September grant outcome, and explore whether available grant funds can be used to accelerate conversions.
