Fact Sheet & Highlights: An Act to Improve Outdoor Lighting, Conserve Energy, and Increase Dark-Sky Visibility - S.3145

An Act to improve outdoor lighting, conserve energy, and increase dark-sky visibility will help lower energy costs for cities and towns and help restore the environment’s natural light levels by reducing ‘light pollution’—additional, unnecessary light from population hubs that shines into the night sky.

Lowering light pollution reduces energy costs for cities and towns, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, supports wildlife such as migratory birds, and improves road safety by lessening glare.

While the effects of light pollution are wide-ranging, many people experience it firsthand when they struggle to see stars at night due to sky glow, a result of excess lighting in densely populated areas. DarkSky International calls light pollution an ‘international concern.’

Several states have enacted laws to curb light pollution, including New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill promotes cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions when new lights are being installed and creates opportunities for cities and towns to save money by gradually adopting light fixtures that use less power.

The details of the legislation are below.

Sets a Cheaper Electric Rate for Low-Wattage Street Lamps. Helps cities and towns trim their electric costs if they use low-wattage outdoor lights. Requires the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to develop a new electric rate for unmetered streetlights or parking lot lights that use less than 25 watts.

Studies Cost-Effective Ways to Cut Government Expenses. Tasks MassDOT with recommending ways to reduce costs by replacing current streetlights—unshielded, high-wattage fixtures—with lower-wattage, fully-shielded fixtures that comply with the new law. The agency would also study the impact of streetlights on people’s health, public safety, and the environment. The report would be due back to the Legislature by January 1, 2027.

Focuses Lights on Their Targets. Cuts down on extraneous bright light in the night sky by setting responsible specifications for new outdoor light fixtures that are paid for with state or municipal funds. In most cases, the lights are required to be ‘fully shielded,’ meaning that a shade is above the bulb to ensure light shines down and out—toward the area being illuminated—and does not burn upward toward the sky. Streetlights and parking lot lights would be fully shielded, as would façade lights, lights shining on flagpoles, and lights illuminating monuments. Floodlights at athletic fields would be treated differently, and ornamental lights would have a brightness limit.

Applies Pollution Requirements to New Lights Only. Keeps implementation costs down for cities, towns, and the state by only using the new anti-pollution ‘fully shielded’ light requirements on new installations. The new lights’ lower rates of energy usage will lead to budget savings when compared with the old fixtures.

Includes Safety Exceptions. Exempts light fixtures related to safety or security needs, including lights related to aviation and nautical safety, and temporary emergency, repair, and construction lighting.

Cuts Down on Extra Light Poles. Ensures the number of streetlamps along a roadway matches the level needed for traffic and pedestrian safety. The determination would be made by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) in consultation with MassDOT and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).

Supports Wildlife and Human Health. Adjusts new outdoor lights to be warmer, to help avoid white light that disrupts wildlife and has negative effects on human health, by holding the fixtures to a maximum of 3000 Kelvin. Exemptions would include cases of public safety and illumination of athletic fields and playing courts.