Powys Council has announced cc install LED light bulbs in more than 14,000 lamp posts across the county, including 4,770 units that the authorities previously blacked out.
As the BBC reports, the council angered residents of some of the local communities by cutting down on its street lighting at night in certain areas of the county in a bid to quell costs.
But an announcement made this week confirmed that the council hopes to spend £1.4 million on converting 14,000 existing units to LED light, including the controversially dormant street lamps.
Jonathan Greatorex, who led a campaign against the blackout, told the BBC he was delighted the council had "finally seen the light". Jonathan Greatorex has been waiting four years to make that joke.
"Increasing concerns over the environmental impact and energy costs led to the decision to reduce the number of lamps being lit," said a council report, set to go before cabinet members later this week.
"Low energy LED lighting technology is evolving rapidly. The efficiency of the lanterns is improving and the unit cost is reducing.
"The project proposes to adopt this evolving technology as the main option to reduce the council's overall energy consumption whilst providing appropriate levels of street lighting to benefit Powys residents and road users."
As the report notes, one of the major strengths of LED light bulbs is that they play nice with lighting control systems - meaning councils can choose to dim or switch off lights in low-traffic areas to save money. This can be done from a central location, meaning real-time lighting control can save further costs.
And a further advantage of LED street lamps, as already encountered by authorities in Sheffield, is that the same lamp will illuminate more of the street than a traditional bulb - meaning that, although the initial outlay is higher, fewer units are needed and in turn less power goes into making the system run.
You can emulate Powys Council in your own garden with LED outdoor lights, which can illuminate your outdoor spend with a greatly reduced electrical bill.
