Owning LED streetlights is saving Shawnee Mission area cities money compared to other Kansas towns

This is a tale of two types of Kansas cities: Those who had the foresight to own their own streetlights and those who do not.

Those who do have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars — even, they say, with the added maintenance. And they’ve been able to save more money by switching to LED bulbs. The energy-efficient lights cost more upfront, but pay for themselves over time, eventually leaving more money in city coffers.

The other cities’ streetlights are owned by Evergy, which charges the same flat monthly rates for LED bulbs as older less-efficient lights. In these situations, the cities say there is virtually no savings, neither in the short-or long-term.