No Wires, No Theft: L.A. Increases Bets on Solar Streetlights

Los Angeles is expanding its solar streetlight initiative with a new installation in Historic Filipinotown, part of a broader push to deter copper wire theft and restore lighting to underserved neighborhoods.

Announced this week by Mayor Karen Bass, the rollout builds on earlier deployments in Watts and the San Fernando Valley and aims to reduce outages caused by rampant cable theft. The new lights, supplied by Fonroche Lighting America, operate entirely off-grid—eliminating the need for copper wiring and enabling faster, tamper-resistant installation. “We are using new and innovative ways to improve city services for Angelenos,” said Mayor Bass, who visited city crews during the installation.

Unlike traditional grid-tied systems, these solar units don't require trenching or underground wiring, making them less vulnerable to theft and easier to maintain. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Filipinotown, said the expansion is helping the city tackle its streetlight backlog while delivering “basic City services more efficiently.” As copper theft continues to plague urban infrastructure across the country, Los Angeles' solar strategy aims to make a practical workaround: cut the wires, cut the problem.