The American Samoa Power Authority issued the following press release regarding a story in the Samoa News dated Friday, January 15, 2021.
In the story freshman lawmaker and Chairman of the House ASPA Committee Rep. Alumamalu Ale Filoiali’i, is quoted telling the House that 2,000 streetlights were illegally installed around Tutuila last year.
The faipule attributes the information to unnamed ASPA officials who told him that streetlights were installed in many places due to demands from senators, representatives and other village leaders.
As a result villages which were to get new streetlights to replace old ones did not get them.
ASPA release:
“The article titled “Over 2,000 streetlights were illegally installed last year” was inaccurate.
“The 2,000 illegal streetlights was detected last year when ASPA crews were installing the new LED lights.
These illegal lights were installed over many years and not last year as earlier reported.
“ASPA secured a Department of Interior grant in FY-2020 to replace all non-LED streetlights
in territory.
“The program paid for a one-for-one replacement and official records revealed that there were 5,500 active streetlights in ASPA’s billing system.
“ASG pays for public lighting along main roads, secondary roads, while residents and businesses pay for street lights on private properties. ASPA planned to replace all 5,500 active streetlights and install 500 more along main and side roads for security.
“The LED Streetlight Replacement Project started in July 2020 and after replacing close to 5,000 lights, it was determined that 3,000 more lights located along secondary roads and private properties needed to be replaced. Many of these lights were not on ASPA’s billing system, meaning no one was paying for them; hence the term “illegal streetlights”.
“ASPA had to order 2,000 more lights to complete the project. When completed, ASPA will perform a full streetlight count so the number of streetlights in the field matches the number in its billing system.
“The streetlight count will begin on February 1, 2021 and ASPA will document and bill regular monthly streetlight charges to the correct customers.
“Streetlights located on or serving private properties will be billed to the owner or tenant. If you do not wish to be charged the monthly fee, ASPA will remove the streetlight from your property.
“Any streetlights facing your property instead of the main road will also be charged to your meter. This includes street lights along private and family access roads. The ASG only pays for streetlights on the public roads and government properties.
“ASPA sincerely thanks the public for their patience and support.”
