AN initiative by the Jamaica Public Service to replace thousands of traditional High Pressure Sodium bulbs to Light Emitting Diode (LED) units on street lights has received a US$425,000 (J$50 million) boost from the United States Government.

United States Ambassador to Jamaica Luis Moreno and JPS President and CEO Kelly Tomblin last week signed the official partnership agreement for the grant, which is being provided through the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

The grant will will be used to provide technical support for the project, which will include the conversion of some 105,000 street lights.

The development forms part of an important aspect of the JPS’ energy-efficiency drive, and an underlying component of the smart grid, which the light and power company is developing to take Jamaica’s electricity network to a more advanced level.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Tomblin noted that the agreement signalled a new round of development for service delivery for the company.

“When we say we are leading an energy revolution, we mean that in every way. We are breaking barriers and are taking energy delivery to a level that has never been experienced before in Jamaica. This is the beginning of a new level of energy efficiency and service for all our stakeholders,” she emphasised.

Ambassador Moreno, meanwhile, was pleased with the initiative and underscored the importance of street lights and the element of safety that they add to the social environment, he looked forward to full implementation of the programme.

The USTDA’s grant will be used to assist with vendor supply systems, environmental impact assessments and other technical aspects of the project.

Smart street lights boast several features, among them automated energy management, as well as near real-time detection and reporting of defects per street lamp. They can also be switched on, off, dimmed or brightened remotely; facilitate data gathering on aspects of the grid; and have motion sensitivity to passersby and vehicular traffic.

The roll-out of the Smart LED Streetlight project will commence in December 2016.