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LEDs in Your Neighborhood

Ameren Illinois has launched a ten-year initiative to replace older outdoor street and area lighting with higher efficiency LED technology.

Ameren Illinois plans to replace approximately 350,000 units of company-owned lighting with higher efficiency LEDs throughout its service territory by 2027. 

LEDs have become the driving force in the evolution of street lighting. The combination of improved nighttime visibility and safety, reduced maintenance/operational costs, no toxic chemicals and a decrease in carbon emission has made LED lighting a top consideration for customers and utility companies everywhere.

Ameren Illinois is upgrading older technology with LED lighting during a normal maintenance visit to a light at no cost to the customer. Normal maintenance includes replacing a burned out or damaged bulb. To help keep costs low, Ameren Illinois will not take a geographical approach and go community-by-community replacing lights. Doing so would increase the cost of installation.

The upgrade to LED includes a new fixture called a luminaire. The luminaire emits light at a temperature of 3000 Kelvin (K) which is the recommended color for streetlights based on guidance from the American Medical Association. At this temperature, the light produces a warm white glow similar to moonlight.

Lighting customers can opt to pay a $250 per fixture fee to have a particular fixture(s) upgraded to LED outside of normal routine maintenance or repair.

Benefits of LED Lighting

LED lights use Light-Emitting Diodes to produce light very efficiently. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, which emit light and heat in all directions. For this reason, LEDs create light and use energy more efficiently in many applications and they produce more lumens (light) per watt than traditional lights.

LEDs will increase service reliability because they are expected to last three times longer than traditional bulbs and will require little maintenance over the first 15 years. And because of their longer life, they reduce landfill and bulb disposal costs.

LEDs also save energy by using 55-65 percent less energy than older technology. They help protect the environment since less energy needs to be generated, which results in lower carbon emissions.

LEDs don't take time to warm up like traditional lights, they come on at full brightness.

LEDs lights don't contain toxic chemicals like mercury.

Frequently Asked Questions

LED lights use Light-Emitting Diodes to produce light very efficiently. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, which emit light and heat in all directions. For this reason, LEDs create light and use energy more efficiently in many applications.
Ameren Illinois is always looking for cost-effective opportunities to help our customers save on their energy bills. Based on analysis, replacing older technology in company-owned street and outdoor lights with LED technology is now a cost-effective option that will benefit our customers, our company, and the environment.
LEDs save energy by using 55-65 percent less energy than older technology. LEDs increase service reliability because they are expected to last three times longer than traditional bulbs and will require little maintenance over the first 15 years. LEDs help protect the environment by decreasing energy generation and cutting carbon emissions. 
Replacing older lighting technology with LEDs is expected to provide monthly energy savings between $1.25 and $4.50 depending on the wattage of the fixture being replaced. In five years LED upgrades could save lighting customers more than $6 million a year in energy compared to current rates.
Ameren Illinois is currently replacing company-owned street and outdoor lights with LED fixtures. Over this ten-year initiative, Ameren Illinois will replace approximately 350,000 company-owned street and outdoor light fixtures. At the end of that time, a majority of company-owned lights will feature LED technology.
Ameren Illinois will replace street, area, flood, directional and decorative lights with LEDs. Additionally, any new lighting installation requests will be completed using LEDs. 
The upgrade to LED will include a new fixture called a luminaire. The luminaire will emit light at a temperature of 3000 Kelvin (K) which is the recommended color for streetlights based on guidance from the American Medical Association. At this temperature, the light produces a warm white glow similar to moonlight.
Ameren Illinois is replacing older technology with LED lighting during a normal maintenance visit to a light. To help keep costs low, Ameren Illinois will not take a geographical approach and go community-by-community replacing lights. Doing so would increase the cost of installation.
A lighting customer will receive the benefit of the LED rate from the day the light is installed. The first monthly statement after the LED is installed will reflect the installation of the new LED and removal of the old technology. There is no charge for the replacement during a routine maintenance visit.
The older technology is being phased out and will no longer be stocked or available for future replacements.
Yes, at the request of the customer, Ameren Illinois can upgrade the current light to LED at a standard cost of $250. There is only a cost involved if we are upgrading the light outside of normal routine maintenance or repair. There could be an additional cost for non-standard decorative lighting. 
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