More than 16,000 lights on the runways and taxiways at Hartsfield-Jackson International have been switched to LED lights, which the airport said makes it the first in the world to have an all-LED airfield.

The $15.9 million project to switch airfield lights from halogen to LED wrapped up last month. With the move, the Atlanta airport earned rebates from Georgia Power, with the first of two rebates valued at $45,901. Georgia Power offers a rebate of 20 cents per watt reduced through its commercial energy efficiency program.

The new LEDs on runways and taxiways last up to 200,000 hours, reducing the number of times bulbs on the airfield burn out and need to be replaced, according to Hartsfield-Jackson.

ajc.com

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Georgia Power estimates the airport may save more than 2 million kilowatt-hours annually. The airport has also installed LED lights in its parking garages

The moves are part of an initiative by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to make Hartsfield-Jackson "one of the nation's greenest airports," according to Michael Smith, senior deputy general manager at the Atlanta airport.