This week, the city of Canton in Ohio, U.S., and American Electric Power will launch an experimental program to switch high pressure sodium lights with LED lights in four “cobra head” street lights over Market Avenue near 40th Street.

Two years ago, Canton replaced the sodium lights in the decorative lampposts along a one-mile stretch of Tuscarawas Street with LED lights. Five years ago, the city began switching traffic signals from incandescent bulbs to LED lights.

Canton is leading the pack in making this environmentally friendly switch, said Dave Wheeler at AEP. He believes more Ohio communities will follow Canton’s lead as demand increases and the initial steep cost of LED lights drop.

“Eventually, when the LED costs come down, they’ll see even more savings and ultimately use less energy, which is good for the environment. It’s what we want too — the old saying is the best power plant is the one you never have to build.”

While LED lights are more expensive, they last three or more times longer, so the city is saving significantly on replacement and maintenance costs as well as energy costs, said City Engineer Dan Moeglin.

“The biggest difference is you can see colors — blues, reds — which adds a safety feature. Under sodium, everything looks brown,” City Engineer Dan Moeglin says. “There’s an aesthetic aspect too. The sodium washes out colors. With LED, you can see the colors on buildings, the architectural elements.”

“But we’re just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to LEDs,” Moeglin said. “Not too much longer and they’ll not be cutting edge, they’ll be the norm, without a doubt.”