A “Dark Skies” bill that aims to regulate municipalities’ publicly owned street lights to reduce light pollution and lower municipal energy costs has moved a step closer to becoming law.
The state Senate approved “An Act to Improve Outdoor Lighting, Conserve Energy and Increase Dark-Sky Visibility” (S.3145) on July 1. The bill would create state guidelines for municipally funded street lights, including regulations that limit their strength and the amount of blue light they can emit, and ensure all public lights are pointed toward the road.
The bill would also alter the way cities and towns are charged for the electricity used by their lighting, changing the legacy cost-per-light structure to a metered price calculation. Additionally, the legislation would urge the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to study the efficiency and environmental impact of its own lighting, according to James Lowenthal, a Smith College astronomy professor who is also president of a group called DarkSky Massachusetts.
“The utilities charge cities and towns by the streetlight without actually metering them; they don’t actually measure how much electricity gets used,” Lowenthal said. “The new LED streetlights are often a good bit less than 25 watts … so [cities and towns are] paying for electricity they’re not using. It’s unfair, it’s a waste of money, and it’s an incentive for the cities and towns to actually use more electricity and produce more light than they actually need.”
The Senate version of the Dark Skies bill passed in early July on a 39-0 roll call vote, while the House included its version as part of its economic bond bill. Lowenthal said the two legislative bodies will have to reconcile which of the two versions to bring before Gov. Maura Healey.
Speaking in support of the bill at the July 1 hearing, Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem, who sponsored the legislation, explained that it would have far-reaching positive impacts not only on driver safety and the visibility of stars, but on public health.
Creem said light pollution has been linked to increases in health complications, ranging from seasonal allergies, obesity, depression and sleep disturbances to breast cancer.
“This bill would have far-reaching benefits. It would protect wildlife, preserve our view of the cosmos for present-day and future generations of scientists and stargazers. It would address numerous public health and safety concerns,” Creem said. “[Light] blinds and distract drivers. By reducing it, this bill would make it easier to drive after dark and improve safety on our roads … A recent study even found that light pollution is making seasonal allergies worse.”
Lowenthal applauded Northampton’s local light pollution regulations, which he described as being more stringent than the state legislation, as they apply to private businesses and not solely public lighting. Still, he said that for Massachusetts to see tangible health, safety and financial benefits, these light mitigation efforts would have to be applied throughout the state. He said light pollution from neighboring cities leaks into Northampton’s skies.
“There are many towns around that don’t have such good bylaws, and they actually contribute to Northampton’s light pollution,” he said. “Other [municipalities] don’t have good protection of darkness at night, and we, along with them, suffer as a result of that. Going forward, the Dark Skies bill will help turn the tide of the ever-increasing light pollution and bring back darkness at night, the way it’s supposed to be.”
A similar sentiment was voiced by Jeff Boettner, a member of Shelburne’s Energy Committee and Streetlight Committee. In 2024, voters at Shelburne’s Annual Town Meeting unanimously approved purchasing the streetlights on Eversource-owned utility poles and replacing the lights with 2,200-kelvin LED streetlights. Boettner said that 2,200 kelvin is reminiscent of early sunrise, and is “a much more subtle, much more gentle light.”
Shelburne has had these new lights for around two years, but Boettner said he’s been thinking about curbing light pollution for a lot longer.
“We’ve been trying to get [“An Act to Improve Outdoor Lighting, Conserve Energy and Increase Dark-Sky Visibility”] in the DarkSky Massachusetts group for 20 years,” Boettner said. “Hopefully, I’ll get lots of phone calls on how to do the lighting.”
Boettner said there are fewer than 100 streetlights in Shelburne, so the bill wouldn’t alter too much in town, especially considering it has already made the change. However, he said he’s excited to see the idea of limiting light pollution spreading.
He added that Shelburne’s project was initially anticipated to cost around $75,000, but $68,000 came from the Green Communities Division, and other funds came from a multitude of other grants. Additionally, by switching to LED streetlights, he said Shelburne is saving 70% of the electricity that it normally would be using. The conversion saves the town around $6,500 per year on energy costs.
“It would be smart if the entire state went to [LED streetlights],” Boettner said.
Having spent 32 years as a wildlife biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boettner said that while 3,000-kelvin light fixtures definitely have place, such as inside homes or offices, it’s not good for wildlife and can interfere with wildlife migration patterns. Even with the 2,200-kelvin lights, part of Shelburne’s plan involves reducing the wattage by 30% at 10 p.m., before coming back to full power at 5 a.m.
“If anyone wants to see our lights, come visit Shelburne,” Boettner said. “I’m happy to give tours for free.”
