Feb. 19, 2026 5 AM PT
To the editor: Thanks for shedding some light on the copper wire theft problem (“L.A. streetlights take a year to fix. Council members say solar power is the answer,” Feb. 14). Almost four years ago, employees from the Bureau of Street Lighting (the men and women who had the huge task of performing repairs) came to the City of Los Angeles Innovation and Performance Commission seeking a grant of innovation funds to pilot solar lights. The pilot program was a huge success, so much so that we awarded these city staffers with our Innovation of the Year award and, more importantly, convinced the City Council to allocate money for hundreds of solar lights, which are now being installed all over L.A.
Jon Merritt, Los Angeles
This writer is the president of the City of Los Angeles Innovation and Performance Commission.
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To the editor: In 2007, the Presidents Row Neighborhood Assn. in Venice used a grant from the council office to install the first solar streetlight in a residential neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles. It was intended as a pilot program to see whether it could be expanded to other areas. For 19 years, Plexus has been a shining success, improving safety and quality of life in the neighborhood. But for so long, the city was not interested in continuing the program.
Now, Los Angeles is revisiting solar lighting. What took them so long?
Harris Levey, Venice