Fonroche Lighting
In a city known for big skies, bold ideas, and even bigger growth, it makes sense that Fort Worth would turn to the sun for answers. This summer, that answer is arriving on street corners from Stop Six to Wedgwood East — not in grand gestures, but in quiet, consistent beams of light.
More than 3,400 of them, to be exact.
Thanks to a $12 million infusion from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Fort Worth has partnered with Fonroche Lighting America to roll out thousands of solar-powered streetlights across 30 neighborhoods, according to a release. The initiative — formally titled the "Support the Neighborhood LED Streetlight Capital Project" — promises more than just brighter sidewalks. It’s expected to save the city an estimated $3 million annually in energy costs and address a long-standing complaint from residents: poor, outdated lighting.
“Only 40 percent of residents were satisfied with our street lighting,” said Lauren Prieur, the City’s Public Works Director. “That’s unacceptable. We are transforming Fort Worth with Fonroche’s solar lighting, creating safer, more accessible streets while reducing maintenance costs and eliminating risks from wire theft and outages.”
The lights aren’t your standard streetlamp retrofit. Designed by Fonroche and powered by their Power 365 battery systems, each unit is built to shine 365 nights a year — even during grid outages or Texas’ extreme temperature swings, from subzero wind chills to triple-digit scorchers. No wires. No grid. No emissions. Just light.
And Fort Worth is all in.
The city began phasing in installations in 2023, starting with neighborhoods like Eastland, Glen Park, Morningside, and South Hills. By the end of 2024, over 1,100 lights had been installed. Another 1,000 are slated to go up this summer in places like Overton South, Polytechnic Heights, and Highland Hills. By 2026, all 30 targeted neighborhoods will be lit with solar.
These neighborhoods weren’t chosen at random. According to the city, a matrix that considered equity, pedestrian traffic, proximity to schools and parks, and the age of existing infrastructure guided the selection process. It’s the kind of city planning that’s both data-driven and community-focused.
“Fort Worth’s commitment to continuous improvement and modernization is truly inspiring,” said Hocine Benaoum, Head of Fonroche Lighting America. “By improving lighting in neighborhoods, we’re helping to support a safer, more accessible, and unified Fort Worth.”
Fonroche is no stranger to big impact, but this partnership is personal — the company recently planted its U.S. headquarters in southeast Fort Worth. The new 20,000-square-foot facility off Loop 820 employs more than 50 people across engineering, sales, and production. It’s not just lighting up neighborhoods — it’s creating jobs.
For Mayor Mattie Parker, the partnership reflects a broader push to position Fort Worth as a hub for smart, scalable infrastructure.
“Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing large cities in the country,” Parker said in a recent episode of the "Innovate Fort Worth podcast." “To support that growth, we must innovate by championing smart solutions that honor our community’s history while pushing us forward.”
The move comes at a critical time. As Texas cities grapple with energy grid instability, aging infrastructure, and increasing demand, Fort Worth’s solar bet reads less like a feel-good gesture and more like a blueprint. Reliable, cost-saving, and self-contained, Fonroche’s off-grid lights represent the kind of infrastructure that doesn't just keep up — it leads.
“This is what leadership looks like,” said Benaoum. “Mayor Parker’s focus on renewable, resilient solutions puts Fort Worth in a position to lead nationally.”
