Jefferson Avenue Slated for New LED Lights

Nearly a quarter of all street lights in Cookeville have transitioned to LED, and there is still more to come.

Currently 21 percent of street lights and 18 percent of parking lot security lights are LED. Cookeville Electric Department Director Carl Haney said these lights are more energy efficient in the long run, and that’s why they are going into another one of Cookeville’s main roadways.

“Jefferson will probably be the next project we start working on, starting around the interstate working our way north there,”  Haney said. “The state has a project to widen South Jefferson from the interstate going south to 111, once that gets done all that will be LED as well,” Haney said.

The last projects completed for the LED transition include Neal Street towards Old Kentucky Road and Jackson Street. Cookeville’s main roadways will remain a priority, as well as subdivisions.

Energy usage is not the only reason for the transition though, after seeing the results of maintenance studies. “Some that we’ve put up several years ago to test, very little maintenance over a 20 year period,” Haney said.

The combination of both energy efficiency and low maintenance could benefit Cookeville and tax payers in the long run. “”Once you factor all that in it’s actually a cost savings to the city and the customers as well out there,” Haney said.

Haney said the human eye also sees LED lighting better compared to the yellow light given off by older city lights.