Mayor Bass Launches Historic Street Light Initiative to Repair and Replace Up to 60,000 Street Lights Citywide By Harnessing Solar Power, The Largest Investment in Street Light[...]

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Copper Wire Theft and Decade-Long Backlog in Repairs Have Left Tens of Thousands of Street Lights Out Citywide

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today launched an historic new Street Lights Initiative that will repair and replace up to 60,000 street lights citywide over the next two years. The program, which harnesses new solar street light technology, will help bolster public safety, slash Los Angeles' decade-long backlog of street light repairs, combat copper wire theft, and reduce L.A.'s energy consumption while helping accelerate the City's transition to 100% clean energy by 2035. B-roll of already-installed solar street lights here.

Mayor Bass was joined by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and other City leaders to sign Executive Directive 18 to launch the new initiative, an historic agreement between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) to identify and install up to 60,000 solar street lights across the city over the next two years. This Solar Street Lights Initiative will also address the more than 32,000 street light service requests by either modernizing these lights or repairing them.

"These are the basics that shape how we feel about our city, and whether our city is safe," said Mayor Bass. "The street light backlog that piled up before I took office is unacceptable - we're addressing it and making it safer for people to walk their dogs, come home from work, and park their cars at night. Instead of continuing to patch together antiquated street light technology, we're using solar to make our lights more reliable, resistant to theft, and cleaner to operate."

"Angelenos deserve safe streets that are reliably lit,"said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. "This initiative takes meaningful action to fix thousands of our City's broken lights and restore visibility where it's been missing for far too long, while moving us toward more secure, solar-powered street lights that are less vulnerable to theft. We will continue working with our City partners to strengthen our infrastructure and deliver safer, more reliable lighting across our communities."

There are currently 32,000 street light service requests. Funding for street light infrastructure has remained unchanged since 1996, and there has been a 1,200% increase in copper wire theft in the last 10 years. Repairs caused by copper wire theft can cost at least 4-times more than standard maintenance. L.A. operates more than 220,000 street lights citywide - an estimated 60,000 are eligible to be converted to solar.

Mayor Bass' Street Lights Initiative represents an historic investment.

Solar street lights equipped with integrated battery storage can provide dependable illumination even during grid disruptions, strengthening the City's resilience. Solar street lights also do not utilize copper wire and are therefore less vulnerable to theft, more cost-effective over time, and help reduce emissions.

The agreement between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) will invest hundreds of millions of dollars, through a phased approach, to assess and install up to 60,000 street lights across the city over the next two years. In partnership with the City Council, hundreds of solar street lights have already been installed in neighborhoods like Watts, Historic Filipinotown, Granada Hills, and Van Nuys.

By prioritizing the repair and replacement of street lights that are currently out, the City can deliver immediate improvements in safety and livability while laying the groundwork for a modern, sustainable street light network.

This week, City Council adopted a motion on solar street lights. Mayor Bass will work closely with the City Council - including Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Chair of the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee, and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, Chair of the Public Works Committee - to address this citywide issue and deliver for Angelenos.

Read the full Executive Directive below:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE NO. 18

Issue Date: March 25, 2026

Subject:Solar Street Lights Initiative to Reverse L.A.'s Decade-Long Repair Backlog and Build a Safer, More Sustainable Los Angeles

INTRODUCTION

Street lighting plays a critical role in protecting public safety, supporting neighborhood vitality, and contributing to a stronger sense of security and quality of life for Angelenos.

Due to a dramatic spike in copper wire theft, vandalism, and a backlog in repairs, tens of thousands of street lights across the city are non-operational. Investing in the installation of solar-powered street lights is a more efficient and cost-effective way to address the City's backlog of street light repairs while boosting operational efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and advancing the City's clean energy goals. Solar street lights equipped with integrated battery storage can provide dependable illumination even during grid disruptions, strengthening the City's resilience.

By prioritizing the repair and replacement of street lights that are currently out, the City can deliver immediate improvements in safety and livability while laying the groundwork for a modern, sustainable street light network.

Achieving these goals requires coordination across City departments. Through close coordination between the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Los Angeles can accelerate the deployment of solar street lights, restore reliable lighting to neighborhoods across the city, and advance the City's environmental commitments. Through this partnership, we will bring together the resources of two departments to modernize our street lights and advance the City's sustainability goals. These departments will be able to immediately invest the funding and staff needed to begin solar street light conversions. Furthermore, to ensure effective implementation of a solar street light program, LADWP and BSL leadership must proactively engage with our labor partners to ensure workforce alignment prior to finalizing implementation.

To improve public safety, enhance quality of life for residents, and support the City's sustainability and resilience goals, I hereby direct the following actions:

1. Joint BSL/LADWP Solar Street Light Initiative:

Direct BSL and request LADWP to develop a joint solar street light initiative and the necessary agreements to deploy it. The agreement shall set out roles and responsibilities, timelines and any other necessary elements to launch this program. Furthermore, the departments are directed to establish technical working groups to closely examine, test, and validate the specific solar and storage products that will be utilized for this initiative to ensure they meet the City's operational standards.

1. Contract Expansion:

Request LADWP to expedite an amendment to its existing Commercial Direct Install (CDI) contract to officially add the solar street light retrofit initiative. This amendment must establish a clear fee schedule and work scopes for its existing contractor's affiliated labor partners. Upon finalization of these terms, LADWP is requested to expeditiously advance the contract amendment to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners for their formal consideration and approval.

1. Phased Deployment Strategy:

Direct BSL and request LADWP to develop a phased deployment for this initiative, prioritizing areas that have significant lighting outages. Current BSL estimates indicate that approximately 60,000 street lights citywide are viable candidates for off-grid solar conversion. Viability may include, but is not limited to:

• Infrastructure condition and its ability to accommodate solar

• Environmental factors such as trees and overhead power lines

• Lighting requirements based on street designation and size

To define the scope of this initial deployment phase, BSL, in direct coordination with LADWP, shall conduct a preliminary assessment of street light locations and their current state of repair within 30 days. This assessment shall determine which of the 60,000 eligible locations are most appropriate for immediate inclusion in this program. Following this assessment, the departments shall submit a report to the Mayor and City Council detailing the specific lights and neighborhoods to be prioritized for Year 1 replacement. The plan should prioritize street lights that are in neighborhoods that have had the longest outages and where there are safety concerns. LADWP and BSL shall report quarterly progress to the Mayor and Council.

1. Coordination:

To ensure seamless execution and rapid problem-solving as the initiative progresses, LADWP and BSL shall establish a regular schedule of ongoing joint meetings. These recurring sessions will serve as a dedicated forum for department leadership and project managers to track deployment progress, address logistical or technical challenges in real-time, and maintain strict operational alignment throughout the implementation phase.