News

Jul 19, 2023

Entergy swapping out Southaven street lights to LED

Entergy has begun the process of swapping the streetlights in Southaven over to

Entergy has begun the process of swapping the streetlights in Southaven over to newer more energy efficient LED lighting.

In July, the Board of Aldermen authorized Mayor Darren Musselwhite to spend $120,000 to have the utility provider upgrade the city's street lights. Musselwhite updated the board at the December 6 meeting and said Entergy has started work in the older neighborhoods of the city in Ward 1.

"They have bounced around a little bit," Musselwhite said. "But their major priority of completion will be starting in Ward 1 and going through Ward 6, in that order."

Entergy has 4.040 streetlights in the city that will be converted.

Musselwhite said the updated LED lights will make a tremendous difference in lighting the city and will help improve safety for drivers, businesses, and homeowners.

"The benefits to the city is it gives us better light, which is always a factor in fighting crime in our city," Musselwhite said. "The more lights you have, the more statistically it cuts down on crime or is a deterrent on crime. So it is important for that."

LED lights provide a whiter and brighter emission compared with the current high pressure sodium vapor lights, which emit an orangish glow. The LED bulbs also last longer and are 40 to 60 percent more energy efficient.

The conversion will save the city money on its light bill and will help speed up any maintenance issues. The city rents the poles and lights from Entergy and pays based on the number of lights. Entergy is responsible for the cost of the equipment and labor as well as maintenance.

"We’ve had struggles with that and the amount of time it takes to get a street light back on," Musselwhite said. "So this LED conversion solves that problem. The LED bulbs don't go out for a much longer time. So we think this is going to be a great project for us."

The conversion process will take about two and a half years and should be completed by 2025.

"The good news is that it is underway," Musselwhite said. "So we are happy about that."

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