Memphis Light, Gas and Water is on track to change all city streetlights to LEDs by year-end, touting the $42 million project as a way to deter crime while saving energy and money.

But some Memphians living beside the newly installed LED streetlights, even those who support the utility’s goals, are wary of the project. 

A few months ago, crews installed LEDs near Lena Chipman’s home in Central Gardens. Chipman said the streetlights used to go out every six months or so, and the last time they failed, MLGW went ahead and installed LEDs because they’d be replacing them within a few months anyway.

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“The light is more powerful; it’s more focused,” Chipman said. “It’s been a great improvement, but they don’t have hoods.” 

Chipman used to work near Memphis International Airport and always noted the hooded streetlight fixtures, which prevented light from shining upward in the path of planes. She thinks a similar fixture could prevent the glare she’s noticed while driving while further minimizing light pollution. 

MLGW and the City of Memphis contracted with Ameresco Inc. last year to replace the city’s 77,000 streetlights.

MLGW started the project in January, a few months behind schedule, but it’s still on track to wrap up the project by the end of the year. Crews began replacing the bulbs in Southwest Memphis then worked their way to North Memphis before swinging south again, and they’ve continued oscillating as they push east.

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Midtown resident Brett Robbs recognizes the benefits of the change. But at night, when the light from new LED bulbs filters into his house, he wonders whether there was a way to achieve those benefits without using these lights specifically.

“You feel like you’re under a spotlight,” Robbs said. “For me, it was not a question of why they are replacing the lights, but why are they replacing it with this color?”

“You feel like you’re under a spotlight. For me, it was not a question of why they are replacing the lights, but why are they replacing it with this color?”

Brent Robbs
Midtown resident

On the Kelvin scale — a spectrum of color temperature, not brightness — the old sodium bulbs fall on the warmer side of the scale, around 2,000 kelvins. 

Cooler temperature LEDs are typically 10% to 15% more energy efficient. 

MLGW opted for LED lights that are 3,000 K along residential streets. They’re on the cooler side of the scale compared to the old sodium lights, but still considered neutral, and it’s a common choice for residential areas. 

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At the kick-off for the project earlier this year, McGowen said they initially installed 4,000 K lights in one neighborhood before swapping them out for slightly warmer 3,000 K ones. 

LED lights are more energy efficient than the sodium lights MLGW installed in the 1950s, and they’re expected to use about half as much energy, which MLGW said will cut costs enough to recoup the expense of the project.

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The new lights also have a lifespan about five times longer than the old bulbs. MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen has previously said the longer lifespan will free up crews from replacing old bulbs and give them more time to handle other issues.

It’s supposed to be a time-saver for MLGW customers, too. The utility has historically relied on customers to report streetlight problems, but with the new system, MLGW said it will be able to detect outages and adjust the lights remotely. 

“The purpose of the project was to provide a more uniform lighting pattern and to ensure that all lights are functioning properly in an effort to promote safety to our residents by deterring crime,” MLGW said in a statement. “The majority of our residents as well as elected officials want as much light as possible including ‘bleed over or spillage’ to help deter crime and promote safety.” 

A ray of light 

The argument for safety is not lost on many Memphis residents.

East Memphis resident Leodan Rodriguez actually prefers the new lights to the orange glow of the old ones. He didn’t know MLGW was installing LEDs until after crews had already visited his street, but he said it’s drastically improved visibility.

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“Now, when I come in, it feels like I can see up and down the street with ease and less worry,” Rodriguez said. 

Ruchee Patel has lived Downtown for 15 years. In the months since MLGW starting replacing streetlights, she’s felt safer walking her corgi Pacer along Main Street, especially as the sun sets earlier. 

As a criminal defense attorney, Patel appreciates the impact that better lighting can have on crime. As she walks Pacer, she’s always noticed that poorly lit crossroads are littered with broken glass from car break-ins. 

On well-lit streets, she said broken glass is rare. 

Patel’s had some frustrations with the project — crews blocked off her street without notice to replace the bulbs, and there’s one light that seems to constantly flash — but she said those hiccups are worth it to feel safe.

“I think a blinking light is better than no light,” Patel said. 

On the blink

Midtown resident Bruce Watson has also noticed LED lights flashing across Memphis just weeks or months after being installed. 

He’s noted new LED streetlights flickering on Walnut Grove Road, along Union Avenue and near Cooper Young, which The Daily Memphian confirmed.

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MLGW said fewer than 0.5% — or fewer than 300 in all — of the new lights have been defective, and those were all detected by the utility’s new system rather than customers reporting issues.

The utility attributed all other problems with the new lights to infrastructure issues that likely would’ve caused an outage, regardless of the type of bulb.

There’s a 24-hour period after installation when LEDs might not work properly as the light and sensor sync up. MLGW also asks residents who notice a malfunctioning light after that window to report the problem. For those reporting a streetlight issue online, MLGW requests information such as the address and pole number.

Watson said he hasn’t reported any of the flickering lights he’s spotted while driving because it requires pulling over on a busy road, getting out of his car to find the pole number and filling out the form.

“I thought part of the reasoning behind this system that they’re putting in is that it would notify them when bulbs go out,” he said.

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Millington, Arlington and Collierville have opted for LED lights in the future, too, and Bartlett has contracted with Path Co. to start replacing its streetlights Oct. 16. It will convert its 8,400 streetlights to LED by the end of the year, starting on the north side of the city and working to the south. 

Memphis residents can check the status of their streetlight using MLGW’s dashboard.