Public Lighting Authority

What Public Lighting Authority does

The Public Lighting Authority (PLA) is a state-created, not-for-profit municipal authority established by Michigan Act 392 of 2012 and incorporated in February 2013 to improve, modernize, and maintain the City of Detroit's street lighting infrastructure. Prior to PLA's intervention, approximately 40% of Detroit's ~88,000 streetlights were non-functional due to copper theft, obsolete high-pressure sodium fixtures, and chronic underfunding, with repair waits measured in years. Between February 2014 and December 2016, PLA installed 65,000 LED streetlights across all 139 square miles of the city, finishing on time and under budget, and now operates a maintenance regime delivering 99.5%+ uptime with a 3-5 day repair SLA.

The PLA's core technology is a state-of-the-art LED street lighting system using parallel-circuit architecture (eliminating the cascading-failure "Christmas tree" series circuits), aluminum rather than copper wiring to deter theft, and automatic ambient-light sensors. Output tiers are 150W-equivalent LED for neighborhoods, 250W for collector streets, and 400W for thoroughfares, all twice as bright as the legacy 75W HPS standard. Capital construction was funded by $60M in interim financing (December 2013) and $185M in long-term, fixed-rate bonds (June 2014, rated A- by S&P and BBB+ by Fitch) issued through the Michigan Finance Authority, serviced by a statutorily dedicated $12.5M annual allocation from Detroit's Utility User Tax over a ~30-year horizon.

The PLA's business model is a public-utility/government-authority model rather than a commercial one. Standard installation and maintenance are provided to all Detroit residents and businesses as a publicly funded service at no direct charge. Supplemental revenue comes from cost-difference payments by neighborhoods and organizations (e.g., Sherwood Forest Association) seeking custom or historically styled poles, and unit-priced modification services (relocation, temporary removal, upgrades) billed to non-governmental requesters. Distribution is direct-to-citizen via website, phone hotline, email, and in-person community input meetings, with no third-party channel partners.

Name

Public Lighting Authority

Legal name

Public Lighting Authority

Website

https://publiclightingauthority.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Public Lighting Authority is a state-created, not-for-profit municipal authority that installed and now maintains 65,000 LED streetlights across all 139 square miles of Detroit, serving every City of Detroit resident and business as a publicly funded service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Street Lighting Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Street Lighting & Area Lighting Electrical Infrastructure (IMAFAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Street Lighting & Area Lighting EPC / Maintenance (EUAEACAH), Road Lighting & Visibility Safety Systems (Street Lighting, High-Mast, LED Upgrades, Solar Beacons) (TLAJAGAD), Transformer/Driver/Power Supply Service & Replacement (HSAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Municipal street lighting
• LED streetlight installation
• Public lighting infrastructure
• Streetlight maintenance services
• Municipal utility services

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Bond Financing: The PLA financed the capital construction project through municipal bonds: an initial $60 million interim financing (December 2013) and a $185 million long-term fixed rate financing (June 2014). The bonds carry investment-grade ratings of 'A-' from S&P and 'BBB+' from Fitch. The bonds are being paid off through an annual allocation of $12.5 million from Detroit's City Utility User Tax. Total estimated project cost was $181 million for capital improvements.
2. Utility User Tax Revenue: The Michigan Legislature allocated $12.5 million annually from the City's Utility User Tax to pay off bonds issued to finance street lighting improvements. This dedicated revenue stream was secured and its independent status enabled the PLA to access capital markets for bond financing.
3. Developer/Organization Contributions for Custom Lighting: Neighborhoods and organizations that want custom/decorative light poles pay the difference in cost above the standard pole. For example, the Sherwood Forest Association committed funds to cover the cost difference for historically styled poles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Public Lighting Authority (PLA) is a state-created, not-for-profit municipal authority that installs, modernizes, and maintains LED street lighting infrastructure across the City of Detroit. It has installed 65,000 LED streetlights covering all 139 square miles of the city and provides ongoing repair and outage-response services with a 3-5 day repair commitment. The PLA also offers custom streetlight modifications, historically styled fixtures for select neighborhoods, and a new mid-block residential lighting program.

Product overview

The Public Lighting Authority (PLA) is a state-created municipal authority that operates as a single unified service focused on improving, modernizing, and maintaining Detroit's street lighting infrastructure. The organization's core offering is the installation and ongoing maintenance of LED street lights across all 139 square miles of Detroit, having completed the installation of 65,000 LED lights between 2014-2016. The PLA's main products and services include LED street lighting installation (covering residential neighborhoods, collector streets, and major thoroughfares), LED technology implementation, and street light maintenance with a 3-5 day repair commitment. Additional offerings include the Mid-Block Lighting Program (a $10 million expansion initiative), the PLANT workforce development program, street lighting modification services for non-governmental entities, and historically styled lighting options for historic neighborhoods. The organization is separate from the City of Detroit and is overseen by a five-member board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Street Lighting Infrastructure Installation
• Street Light Maintenance Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.5%+ of streetlights operational at any given time (up from ~60% before PLA)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cree, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2014Cree, Inc. of Durham, NC was selected as one of three LED manufacturers to supply streetlights to the PLA. As part of the agreement, Cree partnered with DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program) to institute a training program exposing students to LED design and manufacturing challenges. Cree also sponsored DAPCEP's bus transportation for Saturday courses, ensuring Detroit students had access to science and technology education opportunities.
• Leotek Electronics USA Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2014Leotek Electronics USA Corp. of San Jose, CA was selected as one of three LED manufacturers to supply streetlights to the PLA. Leotek committed to ensuring Focus: HOPE has the machinery needed for students to receive advanced training through its Machinist Training Institute, including HAAS Control Simulators for CNC machining training and 3D printers for a comprehensive 3D Modeling/Printing module.
• Walker-Miller Energy ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2014Walker-Miller Energy Services of Detroit was selected as one of three LED manufacturers to supply streetlights to the PLA. The company developed LED and energy-focused courses for high school students with DAPCEP, conducted by technical experts and K-12 educators. Walker-Miller also hosts high school students for summer internship programs and Wayne State University students for semester credit internships.
• Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAPCEP partnered with Cree and Walker-Miller Energy Services to provide LED and energy-focused educational training to Detroit students. Cree sponsored DAPCEP's bus transportation for Saturday courses. Walker-Miller developed courses exposing students to LED technology and infrastructure in urban centers.
• Focus: HOPEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus: HOPE received machinery from Leotek Electronics USA Corp. for students to receive advanced training through its Machinist Training Institute, including HAAS Control Simulators and 3D printers.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58 (IBEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBEW Local 58 represents Detroit electrical workers. Ric Preuss, IBEW Local 58 business agent, is a member of the PLA Board of Directors. IBEW Local 17 is also a partner in the PLANT workforce development program alongside Universal Contracting and Harlan Electric. The union plays a role in workforce pipeline development into skilled trades.
• Universal ContractingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUniversal Contracting partnered with the PLA in the PLANT (Public Lighting Authority Nurturing Talent) workforce development program, designed to encourage contractors to hire Detroit residents and train them for careers in skilled trades. The program is a pre-apprenticeship primer.
• Harlan ElectriccoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHarlan Electric partnered with the PLA in the PLANT workforce development program alongside IBEW Local 17 and Universal Contracting. The program trains Detroit residents for careers in skilled trades through on-the-job training and formalized coursework.
• DTE EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTE Energy served as the owner's representative overseeing the streetlighting project from its beginning to completion. DTE Energy also provides power to approximately 55,000 of the city's 88,000 streetlights. Under the old system, DTE was responsible for those lights; the PLA took over operation as it installed new lights.
• Sherwood Forest AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sherwood Forest Association partnered with the PLA to install historically styled LED street lights in their neighborhood. The association raised funds to cover the cost difference between standard poles and the decorative poles they selected, under a PLA program accommodating neighborhoods that want alternate pole styles.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ameresco: A publicly traded energy-efficiency and infrastructure company that delivers turnkey municipal LED street-lighting retrofits and renewable-energy projects for U.S. cities. Directly comparable to PLA's role as a city-wide LED relighting program lead, including financing and project execution.
• Acuity Brands: Large North American lighting manufacturer with a dedicated street and roadway lighting portfolio (including Autobahn and D-Series LED products). Comparable to PLA as a primary source of the LED fixtures and controls that the relighting program depended on.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader offering a comprehensive portfolio of LED streetlights and connected lighting systems (e.g., Interact City). Comparable to PLA as a partner-class supplier for municipal street-lighting modernization programs.
• Hubbell Lighting: Established North American lighting manufacturer with outdoor/street-lighting products used in municipal infrastructure. Comparable to PLA on the supply-side ecosystem that enables large municipal LED deployments.

Direct peers

• Cree Lighting: LED lighting manufacturer (formerly Cree, Inc.'s Wolfspeed-spin lighting business) and one of the three direct LED suppliers selected for PLA's 65,000-light Detroit deployment. Built an explicit training/partnership program with PLA, making it a directly comparable partner-tier supplier.
• Leotek Electronics USA: U.S. subsidiary of Leotek focused on LED street- and area-lighting products; one of the three manufacturers that supplied streetlights to PLA's Detroit project and ran training with Focus: HOPE. Directly comparable as a direct PLA supplier and street-lighting specialist.
• Walker-Miller Energy Services: Detroit-based energy-services firm that was one of three LED suppliers selected for the PLA deployment and developed LED training programs with DAPCEP. Comparable as a Detroit-rooted direct partner of PLA in delivering both lights and workforce training.

Emerging players

• GE Current, a Daintree company: Industrial IoT and LED lighting provider delivering networked street-lighting and city-infrastructure solutions. Comparable to PLA's longer-term smart-city/connected-lighting roadmap from LED replacement toward networked lighting controls.
• Itron: Provider of smart-grid, metering, and streetlight-network management platforms for utilities. Comparable to the IoT/smart-city evolution of PLA's installed base, where network intelligence and data become an asset layer on top of the lighting.

Regional players

• DTE Energy: Detroit's regulated electric utility, owner's representative on PLA's relighting project and the power provider for ~55,000 of Detroit's 88,000 streetlights. Comparable to PLA as a co-stakeholder in Detroit's streetlight network with overlapping but distinct operational scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PLA_Detroit
• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicLightingAuthority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Lighting Authority