Cookeville Electric Continue Work To Convert City Lighting To LEDs

Cookeville Electric Department hoping to replace more of the downtown decorative lights with LEDs with another expected shipment this week.

Director Carl Haney said efforts to replace the city’s lights with LEDs began several years ago when manufacturers began to stop making the high-pressure sodium lights the city used to use. He said they are about 60 percent through the project.

“The maintenance of them, they last an average of 20 years or so without very much maintenance,” Haney said. “So even though the LEDs cost a little more up front you’re actually saving money in the long run. Plus you get a better light.”

Haney said the light replacement started with some of the main thoroughfares like Jefferson Avenue and Willow Avenue. He said they decided to move on to the decorative acorn lights in the downtown area and historic areas like North Dixie Avenue. Haney said once those are complete, they will work on city streets that had not yet been converted.

Haney said the replacement process involves a change in the fixture, but not the pole and the light base. He said it is not just a bulb change, but requires a full replacement of the internal wiring.

“We’ve changed everything around the square, going down Broad, past city hall,” Haney said. “As you can imagine the way the supply chain is nowadays we just have to wait til we can get them in and we’re hoping to get another shipment in this week and if we do then we’ll continue down Broad, Cedar, going north and south on Cedar, Spring out to 7th Street.”