LEWISTON – The same technology that illuminates dashboards and DVD players will be lighting up city Christmas trees in Lewiston and Auburn, part of a state-run program aimed at cutting energy bills.

Both cities plan to decorate the trees with LED holiday lights supplied by the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s Efficiency Maine program.

The electricity savings among the program’s 11 cities is predicted to top $10,000, according to the commission.

Lights using LEDs, also known as light emitting diodes, use about 10 percent of the electricity of common mini holiday lights and 1 percent of traditional incandescent bulbs.

In Auburn, where 112 strings were donated, the commission figures that the traditional bulbs might consume 6,350 kilowatt hours of electricity. The new lights would use only 340 kilowatt hours during the season.

By giving the newly available lights to cities, the state hopes to encourage consumers to buy them.

“LED lights have been around for several years, but it was not until recently that they became available in the mainstream,” said Kurt Adams, chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Several stores, including Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowes, are selling the new holiday lights and offering instant rebates.

“LEDs are being used in more and more applications, and they’re a great option for festive holidays,” said Adams, who is scheduled to attend Lewiston’s Dec. 7 tree lighting.

The lights are constructed from tiny solid-state chips that convert electricity to light without the use of a filament or glass bulb. Without the filament, there is nothing in the bulb to burn out, and very little heat is produced.

LEDs also have an extraordinarily long life span, lasting up to 134 years or more with less chance of breakage.

Other communities participating in the pilot program are Auburn, Bangor, Biddeford, Alfred, Brunswick, Fort Kent, Houlton, Portland and Waterville.

For a list of LED retailers participating in Efficiency Maine programs, including instant rebates, see the commission Web site, http://www.efficiencymaine.com/residential_programs_esrl_rl_androscoggin.htm.