The City of St. Helens, Oregon, selected Ameresco for an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to upgrade 915 high-pressure sodium streetlights to LEDs. Ameresco will audit, design and implement the project and assist with securing the financing. Ameresco will also identify other efficiency, utility maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
The city’s electric utility, Columbia River PUD, owns the streetlights and charges the city a flat rate. Once the LED conversion is complete, the city will realize a new lower rate from the utility. Ongoing maintenance of the lights will continue to be the city’s responsibility, but the LEDs have longer lifespans.
St. Helens is the thirteenth city in the Pacific Northwest to select Ameresco to upgrade its streetlights. In the past year, Ameresco has installed nearly 10,000 street lights for Oregon and Washington municipalities, including the Cities of Longview, Olympia, Renton and Yakima. In addition to St. Helens, Ameresco was recently awarded similar projects by the cities of Kent, Everett, Lakewood, West Richland, Kelso and Oak Harbor in Washington, as well as Tucson, Arizona and Honolulu, Hawaii.
