In Bangor, Maine, the U.S., the city councilors have recently approved the recommendation to replace more than 300 streetlights in the downtown area of the city with LED lights, according to an article in the Bangor Daily News.

The switch will cost $523,000. Broken down per light, it will cost the city an average of about $1,600 for each LED conversion. The new lights will be paid for with a combination of federal stimulus funding and downtown tax increment financing dollars. After the switch, an estimated $34,000 could be saved every year in electricity.

“It’s a good time to do it. Any chance to save money on our electrical bills is one we’ll take,” City Council Chairman Gerry Palmer said. “It’s really an extension of other energy efficiency measures we’ve taken within the last couple years.”

During the past two years, the city has been implementing a series of energy efficiency improvements including switching a number of municipal buildings to natural gas instead of traditional heating oil and improving insulation at several other city buildings.

LED lights provide better illumination while using less electricity than traditional sodium vapor streetlights, which emit a softer, orange or yellow glow. In addition, LEDs last much longer than other lights and would not need to be replaced as frequently.

By switching the 319 lights that are on meters — most of which are in the downtown area and on the waterfront — the city can save roughly 60 percent on its annual electricity bill for streetlights.

Palmer said aside from the savings, the new brighter lights have other benefits.

“If there is more illumination downtown, it will certainly make the city a little safer at night,” he said.