The City of Moab, Grand County, and Rocky Mountain Power are working together to achieve full Dark Sky compliance as required by Moab Municipal Code 17.09.060 and Lighting Ordinance 588. As part of this effort, all street and area lights are being upgraded to energy-efficient, Dark Sky-compliant LED fixtures.
During the week of Jan. 5, 2026, Rocky Mountain Power will begin converting RMP-owned streetlights to new lights, which will be downward-facing, energy-saving LEDs..
The lights comply with the City of Moab’s Outdoor Lighting Code requirements to provide better and brighter lighting on streets while casting less light into the sky.
The upgraded LED lighting will save the City of Moab approximately $28,000/year in electricity, which will recover the cost of purchasing the new bulbs in about 3 years while continuing to lower the city’s electricity costs for years afterward, according to City Strategic Initiatives and Sustainability Director Alexi Lamm.
In addition to fulfilling the city’s goal of making streetlights comply with the outdoor lighting code, the new lights will provide several other benefits:
- Brighter lighting in areas with high pedestrian and vehicular traffic and at crosswalks.
- Better lighting in neighborhoods, while including a comfort lens to reduce glare.
- “Soft white” lighting color, making the street lighting less yellow or orange than the current lights and providing more accurate color rendering.
- More effective lighting in the street while emitting less light into the sky.
“Working with Rocky Mountain Power to update the streetlights, we prioritized pedestrian safety and neighborhood comfort, Lamm said. “The new lighting technology will reduce the City’s electricity costs while directing light toward sidewalks and streets where it’s needed, not into the sky.”
During the installation period, residents and businesses that own area lights on buildings or poles (primarily used to light up parking lots, walkways, building exteriors, etc.) are eligible for a discounted upgrade to code-compliant lighting while Rocky Mountain Power has a crew in town to replace the streetlights. The cost for the discounted upgrade is $210 per fixture, which will appear as a separate line item on the customer’s electric bill.
To receive the area light upgrade discount, customers must complete the form at https://bit.ly/RMPAreaLightLED as soon as possible so that Rocky Mountain Power has time to order the replacement lights.
Additional information about the City of Moab’s Outdoor Lighting Ordinance is available on the city website at moabcity.gov/DarkSkies.