On Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director, Lydia Mihalik, announced over $3.1 million in grants to support upgrading public lighting to more energy efficient and long-term cost options. These options include LEDs, solar, and motion sensor lighting. 

Eleven counties in Ohio will receive grants funded through the Brightening Ohio Communities Grant Program, which was previously announced by DeWine in November. The program helps pay for energy-efficient streetlights, perimeter lighting, and lighting in municipal-owned parking lots in communities that are in need of extra funding.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to community development, and that is why collaboration with our local partners is so crucial to the success of projects like these," said Director Mihalik. "The voices of our communities told us what they needed, we listened, and now they're all one step closer to a brighter future."

The energy-efficient lighting will utilize innovative lighting technologies, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), which use less energy, produce less heat, and lost longer than incandescent lighting. 

In Trumbull County, Niles will receive a grant of $491,207 to replace 890 streetlight fixtures with LED lighting. The project is expected to yield an annual utility savings of 66%. 

Other counties receiving grants include, Athens, Jackson, Montgomery, and Perry. 

"The grants we're announcing today will empower these communities to make more impactful, long-term investments in their neighborhoods," said Governor DeWine. "By doing something as simple as replacing old streetlights, we're helping free up resources that can be redirected to vital community services like education and public safety."

Funding for the?Brightening Ohio Communities program came from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.