DATE: February 18, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $100,000 in Grant Funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for Streetlight Conversion to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Project 06935
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to accept and appropriate $100,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for streetlight conversion to LEDs.
SUMMARY
The City of Hayward (City) was recently awarded $100,000 in formula-based grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to retrofit streetlights to high-efficiency LED in priority communities defined by the United States Justice 40 Initiative. The project was recommended by the City Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) in 2023. If authorized by the City Council, the $100,000 in grant funds will be utilized to complete the streetlight conversion project and then seek full reimbursement from the DOE after submitting required documentation and reporting.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) is a $550 million grant program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during the Biden Administration to help states, local governments, and Tribes implement strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency. The City of Hayward was allocated $197,040. On March 13, 2023, the CSC recommended that the funds be split between two projects: technical assistance for the Existing Building Electrification Roadmap and convert streetlight fixtures to energy efficient LEDs.1
1 https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6058174&GUID=DA9115BB-9DE5-4351-BFEE-23BFF314E514&Options=&Search=
Energy efficient LED technology fulfils the grant’s requirement of reducing energy use because they use less energy than other lighting types, saving the City money on energy bills. In addition to using less energy, LEDs give off a broader spectrum of white light than fixtures with high-pressure sodium (HPS), providing a greater sense of security to the public.
This is the second time the City has been awarded EECBG funding. In 2010 the City used a portion of its EECBG funds to install LED streetlights on: Tennyson Road between Mission Boulevard and Tampa Avenue; on Jackson Street between the BART tracks and Santa Clara Street; on C Street between Watkins Street and Foothill Boulevard; and on Main Street between C Street and A Street.
Other LED installations and retrofits have included the addition of LED lights on Mission and Foothill Boulevards as part of the Route 238 Corridor Improvement Project and a retrofit project funded by the California Energy Commission in 2013. The latter effort resulted in 7,750 existing streetlights being converted from high-pressure sodium (HPS) to LED. However, there are approximately 1,750 streetlight fixtures that still need to be converted to energy efficient LEDs. These streetlights include decorative fixtures that are not LED and early generation LED cobra heat fixtures that are not as energy efficient as modern LED.
DISCUSSION
With the current EECBG funding, staff expects to convert roughly 200 streetlight fixtures to high-efficiency LED. The streetlight fixtures that will be converted will be located in neighborhoods that have been marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, as defined by the United States Justice40 Initiative Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) (see Figure 1). Staff will leverage work completed in prior streetlight conversion projects to determine which streetlight fixtures will be replaced within these marginalized communities.
Figure 1. Prioritized Census Tracts in Hayward Defined by CEJST
The EECBG equipment voucher requires City staff to purchase and install the streetlight fixtures as well as provide documentation in order to be reimbursed for the costs. The City has up to two years to use the voucher funds with the option to request a no-cost extension.
Staff does not anticipate the two-year deadline to be an issue.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Switching streetlight fixtures to energy efficient LED reduces energy usage and consequently energy costs. This streetlight conversion project is estimated to generate annual savings of approximately 82,000 kWh of electricity and $28,000 in utility and maintenance costs.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Streetlight Conversion to LEDs project is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Energy for $100,000. Staff is requesting appropriating the $100,000 to the Streetlight Conversion to LEDs Project No. 06935 in the Capital Projects (Governmental) Fund (Fund 405). There is no City match required for this grant, so there is no direct fiscal impact on the City’s
General Fund related to this project. The U.S, Department of Energy will reimburse the City after the completion of the LED lights installation and submission of documentation.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Champion Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice outlined in the Council’s Strategic Roadmap although this item is not related to a specific project identified in the Strategic Roadmap.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Energy experts have estimated that the conversion of HPS streetlights to energy efficient LED, particularly those that are ENERGY STAR rated, result in at least 75% energy savings.
LED lights also tend to last at least two times longer than HPS lighting, resulting in less waste.2
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public contact has been made for this item.
NEXT STEPS
Due to recent actions by the new presidential administration, there was a temporary freeze on federal funding disbursement that may have impacted the EECBG funding allocated to the City.
If the City Council adopts the attached resolution, staff will confirm with the Department of Energy that the grant funds are still committed and available before initiating the project.
Prepared by: Mireille Vargas, Sustainability Specialist Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Byron Tang, Principal Transportation Engineer
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
______________________________________
Dr. Ana M. Alvarez, City Manager
2https://www.energy.gov/femp/articles/led-provides-effective-and-efficient-parking-area-lighting-navfac-engineering-service