Columbia refrains from turning off the lights

Connecticut Light & Power Co. is offering to shut off street lights over­night as a cost-saving measure to towns, but selectmen said they want more information before making a decision.
Selectmen agreed Feb. 2 not to join CL&P’s Optional Midnight Service program, which would allow towns to have the company turn off selected lights overnight.

As part of the program, which started last month, towns would be required to install a programmable photocell on the lights at their own cost.

Streetlights with the photocell would operate from dusk until midnight, instead of remaining on until dawn, CL&P said in a letter to towns across the state.

CL&P also said towns have two options for installing the photocells, including doing it while CL&P is conducting scheduled replace­ments.

Towns installing the photocells during the scheduled “re-lamping” would only need to pay $12.73 per cell, while those opting to install the device at a different time would need to pay $102.31 per cell.

CL&P’s letter does state the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is offering a rebate that would leave town responsible for half the cost, or $51.16 per unit.

But Columbia is not scheduled for re-lamping until 2014 and Columbia Town Administrator Jonathan Luiz said the town will wait until then to approach CL&P.

Posted 2-16-2011