align="justify">The city of Austin will begin taking steps toward using more LED lighting as part of a national LED use initiative.

The LED City initiative (www.ledcity.org) is sponsored by Durham, North Carolina-based company Cree Inc. Cree [NASDAQ: CREE] produces semiconductors that increase the energy performance of LED lighting.

LED or light emitting diode, lighting is considered more energy-efficient and resourceful than traditional compact florescent lighting because it is 25 to 30 percent more energy efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs and 50 to 60 percent more energy efficient than incandescent lighting, according to a city statement. Unlike CFL lighting LED lighting contains no mercury. LED lighting also lasts 10 to 12 years longer than CFL lighting and 10 times longer than incandescent lighting, according to the same statement.

As part of the initiative, Austin Energy is currently testing several technologies using LED lighting and will conduct a test run on some lights surrounding Lady Bird Lake and at the hike and bike trail. The utility installed LED lighting on the entire first floor of the garage at One Texas Center and at its headquarters at 721 Barton Springs Road. LED lighting has also been installed at the Palmer Events Center and Convention Center and in streetlights on Barton Springs.

In 2003, Austin Energy replaced incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs in all of the city's traffic signals. That, says the city, has reduced energy usage by 7.25 million kilowatt hours and saved the city $1.4 million on traffic signals.

Austin Energy is the first municipal agency to provide rebates on the use of LED lighting. According to Mayor Will Wynn, Austin Energy's rebate of $300 per kilowatt of energy saved through the use of LED lighting will cover about 30 percent of the cost of LED lighting, which is more expensive than CFL or incandescent lighting. Still, LED lighting provides a payback on investment within about 6 years, says the city statement.

According to Wynn the LED initiative supports the goals of the city's Climate Protection Plan, which aims to implement the most energy efficient codes in the nation and dramatically increase municipal and private use of renewable energy sources.

Toronto, Canada; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Ann Arbor, Michigan have also adopted the LED City initiative.