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Redevelopment commission reviews Duke Energy LED proposal for Lincoln Street, asks for refined costs
Summary
Mark Morgan presented Duke Energy options to replace Lincoln Street lights with LEDs — including a $22,000 upfront option with a $230 monthly charge or a higher ongoing option — and commissioners agreed to pursue further cost details and counsel guidance next month.
The Danville Town Redevelopment Commission on Oct. 8 reviewed a Duke Energy proposal to convert Lincoln Street fixtures to LED lighting and asked staff to return with clarifying cost options.
Mark Morgan, who identified himself during the meeting, told the commission he and school representatives walked the corridor and that Duke Energy offered multiple financing options, including an upfront purchase and lower monthly fee. He said one option quoted $22,000 upfront paired with a $230 monthly charge and that Duke also proposed an option with a higher ongoing cost that Morgan summarized as $395 per month. He also said a needed transformer could add between $5,000 and $10,000 to the total cost.
"My thought is we pay as much upfront as we possibly can, buy down the cost, and then just pay for the energy consumption," Morgan said, urging the commission to consider minimizing long‑term monthly obligations.
Commissioners said retrofitting existing wooden poles for most of the route—which would limit the number of new poles to about four—would substantially reduce the cost compared with earlier, larger estimates. One participant estimated current monthly lighting costs at about $6,000 and said an LED conversion might cut that toward $3,000.
An attendee cautioned the commission on financing limits: "You can pay capital improvements with TIF, but you cannot pay any monthly ongoing expenses with that," the speaker said, noting that TIF (tax‑increment financing) can cover capital costs but not recurring service or maintenance charges. Commissioners responded by saying shifting as much cost as feasible into capital expense would be preferable.
Morgan said a second phase of improvements—work for which the council had agreed to seek grant funding—likely would not occur until 2029 and that he will return to the RDC next month after speaking with counsel and Duke Energy to present a third option and final figures.
The discussion produced a consensus to proceed with further negotiation and to return with firm numbers rather than a formal vote that night.
