Morgantown Works to Fix LED Streetlight Glare

City officials are working with FirstEnergy on solutions after LED streetlights have intruded into some First Ward homes.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in City Hall

Morgantown Works to Fix LED Streetlight Glare

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Morgantown officials are working with FirstEnergy on solutions to LED streetlight intrusion into homes, after some residents reported lights flooding bedrooms or shining inside all night. Some First Ward residents are circulating a petition to add hoods or reposition the lights.

Why it matters

The LED conversion was undertaken to save electricity costs and maintenance across the city's roughly 1,700 streetlights. The lighting complaints show the tradeoffs of the upgrade for neighborhoods living close to the poles.

The city has about 1,700 streetlights, and LED units are estimated to save $50,000 to $60,000 a year and last up to 15 years. The city has not said how many poles are affected by intrusion or when remedies will be implemented.

The players

FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy is a major electric utility holding company serving customers in several states, and it is working with the city on streetlight solutions.

City of Morgantown

The City of Morgantown, West Virginia, is the municipal government that installed the LED streetlights and is seeking solutions to the intrusion complaints.

The details

Some LED lights have flooded bedroom windows or lit the inside of homes all night, and the replacement program began downtown before expanding to neighborhoods this year. Because each pole is different and LED technology makes it difficult to aim the units properly during the daytime, the city is working with FirstEnergy on fixes.

Over the last year, the city began replacing burned-out lights with LED lamps.
This year, a neighborhood LED replacement program began in Morgantown.

Seasonal Patterns

Morgantown's LED conversion follows the broader municipal shift from high-pressure sodium streetlights to LEDs, which trades lower energy use for lighting that must be aimed carefully to avoid spilling into homes.

Residents near newly installed LED lights may experience bright light entering bedrooms at night, and the city is working on fixes. Residents who want to affect the outcome can review or join the First Ward petition seeking hoods or repositioned lights.

The takeaway

Energy-saving upgrades can carry hidden costs for nearby households, so residents affected by new lighting should document problems and raise them with city officials and the utility.