While in favour of the environmental benefits associated with switching all street lights to LED, the City of Prince George opposes BC Hydro’s proposed rate application.
The city’s mayor, Lyn Hall, sent a letter to to all Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) members, Parksville included, to notify their opposition to BC Hydro’s proposed 2020 Street Lighting Rate Application. Hall’s letter, dated March 17, was received during the latest Parksville council meeting on Wednesday, April 7.
“The application, submitted by BC Hydro in November 2020, seeks approval for an increase in the monthly rate charged per street light which includes a surcharge to recover the costs incurred by BC Hydro to convert existing High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light fixtures to LED fixtures,” wrote Hall.
READ MORE: Parksville to go ahead with 3000K streetlights for BC Hydro project
“While the City of Prince George supports the environmental benefits that will result from the conversion to LED technology, we are not in support of a surcharge rate downloaded to municipalities to cover the disposal of existing lights and their associated depreciation costs.”
As per their website, BC Hydro’s street light replacement project aims to replace over 90,000 street lights across the province with LEDs, as to ensure compliance with new federal regulations that require all light ballasts containing Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) be removed by the end of 2025.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Parksville council did not make a motion to support or oppose Hall’s letter.
