Jangveer Singh Punjab is set to introduce LED (light emitting diode) lighting in all five cities in the state, beginning from Ludhiana, even as the process of replacement of conventional lighting with CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) will start in a few months with Powercom, the state electricity utility, registering with the Bureau of Energy for this purpose. LED lighting is being taken up as a pilot project in the cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala and Bathinda. Powercom and Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) are involving a private player to bear the cost of the project. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal told TNS that the project, which would result in energy-saving of 300 mega watt annually, would pay for itself. The private player will trade the carbon credits (value put on reducing greenhouse gas emissions) he gets for establishing the project. All street lighting and government lighting in the cities will be replaced with LED technology under the project. The Deputy Chief Minister said simultaneously conventional lighting would be replaced with CFL all over the state by March 2011. He said the project would start in a few months with the Bureau of Energy registering Powercom for the project last week. He said CFL tubes worth Rs 110 per tube would be provided to consumers at Rs 15 per tube. He said private players would bear the remaining cost and would be at liberty to trade the carbon credits they get for the venture. Punjab is expected to save 500 mw annually by shifting to CFL technology. A sixteen volt CFL tube gives as much illumination as a 40 volt conventional tube. Similarly a 4 volt LED light gives the same illumination as a 40 volt tube. Wherever CFL is replaced by LED lighting in major cities, the CFLs will be transferred to municipal towns. Powercom Director K D Choudhary said other steps being taken to save power included shifting meters out of houses, shifting to high-voltage distribution system for transmission of power and changing capacitors. He said these measures, which would cost the state Rs 650 crore, would result in energy saving of 300 MW annually. The government aims to close the demand-supply gap through these measures by next year. Sukhbir Badal said Powercom had been asked to work towards the goal of making the state power-cut free as far as domestic supply was concerned by next year. He said farmers would also get an assured eight hour continuous supply of power and industry would face only one compulsory weekly off.