NSP HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM
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Northern States Power Company
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Normandale DIVISion
5309 West 70th Street
Edina, Minnesota 55435
Telephone (612) 941-2992
September 7, 1983
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Hopkins
RE: Conversion of NSP OWned Street Lights
to High Pressure Sodium
Earlier this year, NSP initiated a program for conversion of all
NSP owned street lights to energy efficient high pressure sodium
lamps. NSP developed this program to reduce the number of
inefficient street lights on its system, in line with NSP's and
the national commitment to energy conservation.
Because of recent reductions in the cost of high pressure sodium
fixtures supplied to NSP, we are now able to make the street light
conversion program even more attractive to you. This cost-reduction
has occurred due to a nationwide movement toward the use of this
new, efficient light source, resulting in mass production of the
high pressure sodium equipment at lower costs.
Correspondingly NSP, on September 8th, is filing with the Minnesota
and South Dakota Public Utilities Commissions and the North Dakota
Public Service Commission a rate request to lower its rates for high
pressure sodium street lights so that they are the same as those now
charged for mercury street lighting of equivalent light output. we
have also filed with these Commissions to eliminate the $5.00 mercury-
to-high pressure sodium conversion charge. The filings also include
a request that the mercury street light rate be closed and no longer
be offered for new installations.
After we receive the Commissions' approval, NSP will start converting
NSP owned mercury, incandescent, and fluorescent street lights to
new, energy efficient high pressure sodium at no charge for the
conversion.
This means that NSP will now be updating our street lights to modern,
more efficient fixtures at no additional cost to you while conserving
energy at the same time. The converted lamps will use 33% to 55%
less energy and provide 17% to 33% more light output than the lamps
they replace, depending on lamp size. In the future, as NSP's costs
of producing electric energy rise, the converted street lights should
provide you savings in monthly operating costs compared to the
relatively inefficient mercury units we are presently using.
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Because of these many advantages of high pressure sodium street
lighting, NSP plans to convert the NSP owned overhead and custom
underground street lights in your city to the nearest equivalent
light output high pressure sodium. This will always result in
slightly more light on your streets. Because this will be a
large conversion program (NSP owns more than 70,000 street
lights,) and because of the necessity of scheduling this conver~
sion work to match available crew time and minimize costs, NSP may
not be able to make the conversion when you request it, and will
have to schedule the work over several years. Any mercury street
lights that require maintenance during this waiting per~od will
be converted to high pressure sodium at no charge.
Provided the respective commissions approve NSP's filing, NSP
will begin converting NSP owned mercury, incandescent and
fluorescent street lights to the high pressure sodium at no
charge for the conversion, provided the conversions are made
according to NSP's schedule. If conversion is desired prior to
NSP's schedule, a one-time charge of $20 per light will be
assessed to cover NSP's additional costs.
We request your written concurrence with this program.
If you have any questions or need further information on this
program, contact Stu Fraser at 941-5423, Normandale Division.
NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY
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