PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) announced today that RIDOT is the first Rhode Island state agency to fully convert its lighting resources to energy-efficient LED lights. This conversion provides significant long-term energy savings.

The project was a result of several years of collaboration between OER and RIDOT, as part of OER's State Agency LED Lighting Program. As of January 2023, all RIDOT lighting systems have been converted to LED lights with integrated controls, including the upgrade of 23 maintenance facilities and the retrofit of over 9,000 streetlights. Combined RIDOT will save over $1 million a year on electricity costs, and an estimated $14 million over the life of these more efficient lighting systems. They also will save nearly 55,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

“I thank RIDOT and OER for their hard work and commitment to conserving energy through this comprehensive conversion to efficient LED technology,” Governor Dan McKee said. “In addition to dollars saved, this will contribute to the state’s green energy goals and commitment to meet the goal of the state’s Act on Climate while reducing RIDOT’s carbon footprint.”

“RIDOT thanks OER for their assistance in converting our facilities to energy-efficient LEDs,” RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. said. “This is a journey we have been on for the past several years, first with out streetlights and now with our facilities. We are proud to lead the way with this energy saving initiative that will not only save money but reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

“RIDOT has done a tremendous job in their LED lighting upgrade efforts, and we have enjoyed a strong collaboration between the two agencies,” said Acting Energy Commissioner Christopher Kearns. “We will continue to work with all state agencies to complete their LED lighting conversions. These types of energy improvements play an important role in meeting our objectives with Act on Climate.”

OER is leading Rhode Island's efforts for clean, affordable, reliable, and equitable energy and with the Lead by Example Program, which supports State agencies and municipal governments in decreasing their greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.

As a result of Lead by Example, the state government has successfully lowered its energy consumption by 12.7 percent compared to the year 2014, with 60 percent of state-owned buildings either converted or in the process of converting to LED lighting and 95 percent of state government electricity consumption being offset by renewables.