Polish towns launch LED street‑light upgrades, call for national funding program

The coastal city of Sopot has begun a LED street‑lighting modernisation, replacing 970 lamp fixtures and poles. The project, carried out under heritage‑conservation oversight, is expected to cut electricity use by more than 67 % – about 382 000 kWh per year – and reduce CO₂ emissions by roughly 242 tonnes annually.

Separately, the Union of Polish Towns is urging the government to start a new multi‑year grant scheme, dubbed “Rozświetlmy Polskę 2.0”, to help municipalities replace ageing sodium lamps with LED systems. High energy prices have forced some gminas to switch off lights at night, raising safety concerns. Officials warn that a full retrofit can cost millions of zlotys per municipality and cite ownership complications with existing infrastructure as an additional hurdle. The proposed programme would involve state funding and cooperation with energy companies such as Tauron, PGE and Energa.