California has led the way, spurred by the energy crisis there last year. The state's major utility companies are helping subsidize the cost of installing LED lights in more than 100 cities.

Traffic lights are a quintessential part of our everyday lives—especially here in the United States. They play a critical role in controlling the flow of traffic, able to turn the spigot of ...

The LED is a solar cell in reverse, said Steven DenBaars, a professor of materials science at UC Santa Barbara. "When we put in electricity, it comes out as light," he said.

While almost 70 percent of all traffic lights in the U.S. have been converted to more energy efficient LEDs, adoption in the European market is currently in the low teens, Burton said.

Many communities, including Portage, have switched to LED bulbs in their traffic lights because they use 90 percent less energy than the old incandescent variety, last far longer and save money.