Thanks to some On Bill Financing, the street lights along Overland Blvd. have been replaced with high energy efficiency ones.  From a prior bi-weekly email from City Manager John Nachbar:

On-Bill Financing – The Public Works Department’s application to participate in Southern California Edison’s On-Bill Financing program was approved by SCE.  This program, which is funded by California utility customers and administered under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission, allows governments and other eligible customers to finance energy efficiency projects using zero-interest loans that are paid back through the energy savings that are achieved through those projects. Staff submitted an application for $250,000 to fund the conversion of 625 street lights along arterials throughout the City to Induction lamps. Induction lamps provide high quality light with good color rendition at roughly half of the energy use of the City’s existing lamps.  Staff anticipates bringing the agreement to City Council for approval in late March.

The new lamps are dark sky compliant, use about 40% less energy than the previous ones, and by virtue of the on-bill financing program with Southern California Edison, incur no up-front costs to the City of Culver City.  Here is a response from Charles Herbertson, Culver City’s Director of Public Works:

I’m glad you like the new energy efficient induction lights that are going up in your neighborhood on Overland.  These lights will use approximately 40% less energy than the old high pressure sodium lights that they are replacing.  And, as you have probably already observed, the lights generate a much better quality light so that it is much easier to see. 

The new fixtures are also night sky compliant and we are paying for them with an on-bill financing program sponsored by Southern California Edison so that there is no upfront cost to the City and the lights are paid for over time using the energy savings.