NM installing low-energy LED lighting

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico's Department of Transportation is retrofitting street lights at 380 intersections throughout the state with energy-saving light-emitting diodes, known as LED lights.

The Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources received a $5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the project.

Transportation Secretary Gary Giron says the replacement of incandescent lights will save the state $500,000 annually in electrical costs. Giron says LED lighting provides better visibility for motorists by reducing glare.

He says the bulbs require less maintenance and energy costs will decrease about 70 percent.

The DOT project doesn't include Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Alamogordo and Gallup, which obtained separate grants for the new lighting.

Source: Los Alamos Monitor, http://www.lamonitor.com