L.A. Turns to Solar Power to Fix Broken Streetlights

City Council members propose $65 million plan to convert 12% of streetlights to solar amid repair backlog.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Faced with a backlog of over 33,000 broken streetlight repair requests and an average 12-month wait time, two Los Angeles City Council members have unveiled a $65 million plan to convert at least 12% of the city's streetlights to solar power. The move aims to make the lights less vulnerable to copper wire theft, which has been a major contributor to the city's streetlight outages.

Why it matters

Broken streetlights have emerged as a major issue in this year's L.A. city elections, with council members under pressure to find solutions to restore lighting in neighborhoods plunged into darkness. The solar conversion plan is an attempt to address the root causes of the problem and provide a more sustainable, theft-resistant streetlight infrastructure.

The details

Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Eunisses Hernandez are leading the effort to spend $65 million on installing solar-powered streetlights, which would convert about 500 lights in each council district. The city's Bureau of Street Lighting currently has a backlog of 33,000 repair requests, with the average time to fix a streetlight taking 12 months. The department cites vandalism, budget constraints, and a small staff of 185 people as contributing factors to the repair delays.

  • Last month, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez announced he put $1 million into a streetlight repair team in his district.
  • On Monday, city crews began converting 91 streetlights to solar power in Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park.

The players

Katy Yaroslavsky

Los Angeles City Councilmember representing part of the Westside.

Eunisses Hernandez

Los Angeles City Councilmember.

Nithya Raman

Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate.

Karen Bass

Mayor of Los Angeles.

Miguel Sangalang

Director of the Bureau of Street Lighting.

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What they’re saying

“We can't keep rebuilding the same vulnerable systems while copper theft continues to knock out lights across Los Angeles.”

— Katy Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles City Councilmember

“This is going to bring more public safety and more lights to neighborhoods that so desperately need it and that are waiting a long time.”

— Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles City Councilmember

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.