Many of Boulder City’s streetlights have a new look.
The city, just a few miles southeast of Las Vegas and its neon lights, has taken steps in the last few years to find ways to reduce light pollution, while at the same time allowing those who enjoy stargazing to have an easier time of doing so.
According to a city report, Boulder City received a $1.9 million grant in 2023 from the U.S. Economic Development Authority to retrofit every municipal light with energy-efficient, light-pollution-reducing fixtures. The city and the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation learned about the grant in September 2022.
“In addition to providing significant energy cost savings for the city of Boulder City, the new dimmable, eco-friendly light fixtures will help curb harmful greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural ecosystems and native wildlife from critical light pollution impacts, and advance sustainable dark sky recreation and tourism opportunities for families and visitors,” the report states. “Residents are strongly encouraged to participate, but it is not a requirement.”
The lighting retrofit project started in 2023 and is an important step in Boulder City’s efforts to achieve dark-sky certification.
At that time, then-City Manager Taylour Tedder said, “This EDA investment in Boulder City’s lighting infrastructure is a great step toward our goals of preserving the dark skies of our community and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area for their natural and cultural value. My hope is that this project will help us move toward a goal of becoming a certified dark sky community, and preserve our community’s quality of life.”
Recently, City Utilities Director Joe Stubitz said the city’s goal was to replace all of the city’s streetlights. He said dark-sky lights use less energy, help the environment and benefit customers.
The city is paying for the labor needed to install the lights. As part of the federal grant, signs were installed crediting the Economic Development Authority on both entries into Boulder City.
Stubitz said the grant covered all streetlights in town with the exception of those in the historic portion of downtown Boulder City and by Veterans Memorial Park. Those are all fairly new.
As of the end of January, the city had replaced 63 percent of the streetlight fixtures, which equates to 1,460 of the city’s 2,150 streetlights at around $1,300 apiece. Stubitz said the grant stipulates that all lighting must be replaced within five years, which would be 2028.
“I think we’re on track, but we may need to do an adjustment based on how soon we can get the materials,” he said. “So, we may be looking to make an amendment to the agreement to get that done. But I think this is a great thing for the city. From the utilities perspective, these lights are much more efficient, so they save power.”
Stubitz said the city can go further in an effort to receive a Nevada Starry Skies designation, or even take a further step to become recognized by DarkSky International.
The stated mission of DarkSky International, formerly the International Dark-Sky Association, is “to preserve and protect the night time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting.”
In order to become dark-sky compliant, cities, state and national parks, or other locations must meet guidelines set by DarkSky International. Flagstaff, Arizona, was named the first International Dark Sky City in 2001.
Two Nevada locations have dark-sky designations. Massacre Rim Wilderness Area in Washoe County was declared an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2019, and Great Basin National Park in White Pine County was granted the title of an official dark sky park in 2016.
“We applied for that recognition, but I think it’s like a 10-year process,” Stubitz said. “It takes a long time, but in order to get there you have to have a lighting management plan. The city will need to decide if we want to have these certain requirements for businesses and residents and what that implementation period may look like.”
Review-Journal reporter Alan Halaly contributed to this report.