From: Miles Histand

To: Ms Krasner
Solve a social, political, or technical problem and
propose your solution to an. individual or a group that
has the power to act on your recommendations

Topic: Energy efficiency and urban planning

Audience: Director Tom Miller, Portland Bureau
of Transportation
Problem: In the long term, street lighting in the
city of Portland is costing too much for residents
and the city. The lack of efficient methods of
street lighting is weighing down on the carbonfootprint relationship between Portland and the
rest of the world. Portland needs to make a
reasonable investment in LED technology
regarding street lights.
Thesis: A short-term investment in LED
technology for Portlands street lights will lower
the maintenance costs of street lights, impose a
lower tax bill to home owners, and restore our
national image as having a low-carbon footprint.
How will l adapt my message to Tom Miller to
make a persuasive case?
As an electrical engineering student, it is
important for Tom Miller to realize that I have been concentrating extensively on the analysis of
electrical systems. With my knowledge base, I am confident he will take what I have to say
regarding LED technology seriously.
Advantages of the solution.
Lower long-term energy costs and property tax bills
Lower maintenance costs
Lower environmental impact

Objections to the solution:

Initial cost will be too much for residents. They will not approve an initial tax hike for
replacement. Refute: The long-term cost benefits will overshadow these initial costs.
Disposal of old bulbs would be counterintuitive for those who believe the change will be
environmentally sound. Refute: These bulbs could be transferred and used by regions in the
world with little or no street lighting.
How to implement the solution:
Rules and contracts that currently are in place will have to be altered. This is the true roadblock
for successful transition. Once measures have been passed for a tax-levi, the project will begin
assessing the region for bulb replacement. Currently Portland General Electric maintains 80% of
Portlands street lights. Depending on the kind of LED lights installed, the contract with PGE will
change. Once new contracts are in place and LED bulbs (and perhaps fixtures) are bought, the
project will progress until all street lights have been managed.
Costs of the solution*:

Current cost of street lighting

$7.6 Million

Cost to replace street lights with LED lights**

$27.5 Million

Energy cost of original lighting vs. LED

Annual savings on energy costs:
Years to recapture initial investment***:

$17.9 Million vs.

$10.1 Million
$7.8 Million
approx. 4 years

*based on 55,000 street lights in the city of Portland

**based on costs of $500 per LED bulb installation
***numbers do not account for maintenance savings which are considerably higher. I need to do
more research on this in order to understand the impact.