L.A. streetlights take a year to fix. City Council touts solar power - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
by Melissa Gomez, David ZahniserFebruary 14, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Los Angeles is grappling with a significant issue of broken streetlights, which has left many neighborhoods in darkness. With one out of every ten streetlights malfunctioning due to disrepair or copper wire theft, two city council members have proposed a $65 million plan to switch at least 12% of the city’s lights to solar power. This initiative aims to address both the immediate problem of broken lights and the long-term vulnerability to theft by replacing traditional copper-wired lights with solar-powered units.
The proposal highlights the growing concern over streetlight maintenance, which has become a key issue in the ongoing election. Council members are under pressure to improve public safety, as broken lights have created hazardous conditions for residents. The Bureau of Street Lighting reports 33,000 open service requests, with an average repair time of twelve months. This backlog is attributed to increased vandalism, a stagnant budget, and a limited workforce of 185 employees managing over 225,000 streetlights.
Switching to solar power is expected to reduce maintenance costs and prevent future outages caused by copper theft. The plan includes converting up to 60,000 streetlights across Los Angeles, with initial projects already
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Originally published on Los Angeles Times on 2/14/2026