Ralph Carney doesn't think of himself as an environmentalist and he likes the holidays as much as the next guy. But this year he's leaving all his Christmas lights in a box in his Bayshore garage.
Why? It doesn't make sense to use the electricity, which comes mostly from burning natural gas, he said. Burning natural gas creates emissions that aren't good for the planet.
"Neither Jesus nor Santa Claus is in favor of global warming," he said.
Plus, it saves money on his electric bill.
Forget about Jesus and Santa Claus, not putting up lights is anti-Anchorage, isn't it? The Chamber of Commerce has been promoting Anchorage as "the City of Lights" since the mid-1980s. Even Carney admits "the city of turning off your lights" doesn't have the same ring, but he wrote the city and the chamber asking them to do just that.
What he didn't know was both the city and the chamber are already promoting a compromise that keeps the city twinkling, but uses much less electricity. Both groups have been pushing residents and businesses to use Light Emitting Diode, or LED, holiday lights, which cost more but last longer and use 87 percent less energy.
The lights-- with their cool bluish glow-- already adorn Town Square Park, saving close to $2,000 in electricity costs last winter, according to Green Star. The city's looking at colored LED lights to replace the circle lights around the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, as well.
"LED lights are a win-win," said Kevin Harun, head of renewable resources for the city. "People love to have their lives brightened up by lights. There's no reason we can't have lights if they are energy-efficient."
"I think we should call it the city of LED lights and flowers."
LED lights are sturdier and meant to last many seasons, with 100,000 hours of average burn time, versus the 3,000 hours of incandescent lights, Harun said. That means you don't have to throw them away after a couple seasons and clog up the landfill, he said. They're also safer because they don't generate heat like incandescent lights, so they aren't as likely to cause fires. And, when one light goes out, the others stay lit.
The drawback is the price tag. At Fred Meyer, for example, a string of 26 LED lights was selling this week for $11.99. By comparison, you can get 100 regular Christmas lights for $6.99. That's a difference of 39 cents per bulb.
But, Harun said, you recoup your costs in two to four seasons, depending on the type of LED light you're using.
Some people also find the bluish color of the so-called white light cold. Harun says technology improves every year, and the lights now come in many colors.
The chamber is taking a hard look at its City of Lights program that uses volunteers to string 250,000 lights across Anchorage, said chamber president Stacy Schubert. It has already encouraged member businesses to make the switch. Changing them all out would cost more than $30,000, which isn't immediately feasible, she said.
Schubert wants to know what the public thinks. Do people like the look of Town Square? Do they want to switch out the lights or keep them the same, despite the energy use? Do they want to keep the City of Lights program?
One question is how much electricity Christmas lights currently use. It's hard to say, but December, January and February are peak months for energy use in Anchorage, according to MaryAnn Hanson, community relations coordinator for Municipal Light & Power. People are using more heat, and leaving lights on longer during those dark, cold months. It's hard to say how much energy decorative lights use. But turning them off or using LED lights is never a bad idea.
"Every little bit helps," she said.
Find Julia O'Malley online at adn.com/contact/jomalley or call 257-4591.
Seasonal lighting
SHOW US YOUR LIGHTS: Whether they're traditional or LED, we want to see pictures of holiday lights. We'll assemble them on an interactive holiday lights map.
adn.com/lights
• TODAY: The Town Square Christmas tree will be lit at 5:30 p.m. today, followed by music, refreshments and a visit from Santa until 7 p.m. In the park in front of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you have an opinion about how the City of Lights program should change? E-mail: info@anchoragechamber.org or go to this story on adn.com and write in the reader comments at the bottom. Seasonal lighting
