San Antonio streetlights go solar as the city seeks to fill safety gaps

As the City of San Antonio works to address streetlight gaps across San Antonio, it will also be going greener by installing solar-powered LED lights in underserved areas.

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City Council members and staff from the city’s municipal electric utility, CPS Energy, announced a recent contract between the city and the French company Dalkia Energy Solutions on Thursday morning that will see about 400 new solar-powered LED streetlights installed in San Antonio over the next year. These lights will be placed in areas identified by the city as needing illumination for public safety through a 2022 study.

This is the city’s first official initiative to widely install solar-powered LED street lights within city limits, said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Under the new contract, 200 to 400 new streetlights will be installed each year through 2028. Each light costs approximately $9,000, city spokeswoman Ximena-Copa Wiggins said in an emailed statement.

The streetlights have solar panels and battery storage systems built into each one, said Dalkia Energy Solutions’ Global CEO Sylvie Jéhanno. Jéhanno added that a single day of solar charging allows each light to be powered up for up to five days.

Dalkia Energy Solutions has created a subsidiary headquarters within San Antonio and hired 40 staff members, said JC Florenson, vice president of smart infrastructure solutions for Dalkia Energy Solutions.

Florenson added the company is looking to hire an additional 20 employees by the end of the year. Dalkia has had a contract with Bexar County since 2021, he added. The company signed an agreement with CPS Energy for the streetlights in February.

Three of these streetlights have already been installed on Hammon and East Drexel avenues on the city’s near Eastside as part of a pilot. Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) said these lights have already benefited the streets they’re installed on.

“This is just the beginning,” McKee-Rodriguez said. “Our collaboration with CPS Energy is not just about adding streetlights — it’s about building a stronger, more connected San Antonio.”

Lindsey Carnett covers the environment, science and utilities for the San Antonio Report. A native San Antonian, she graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a degree in telecommunication media... More by Lindsey Carnett