I don't usually agree with Tea Partyers, but they've got my support on this issue: House Republicans are bringing up legislation to save the incandescent light bulb, which is slated to be phased out by 2020.
The law has been dubbed "the light bulb ban" by activists on the right and has struck a Tea Party nerve. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann have all called it government intrusion par excellence. It essentially mandates that no new bulbs can go on the market after January '12 without meeting a new, higher standard of energy efficiency. Bulbs that don't meet the standard but that are already in stores won't be taken off shelves.
"It is one of those issues out there that just inflames people," Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, co-sponsor of the bill that would reverse the phaseout, told Politico. "What in the world were you doing restricting the kinds of light bulbs in my home?"
Environment schmenvironment - gimme my inefficient yet glowingly beautiful incandescent light bulb! Link (Photo: Shutterstock)
Previously on Neatorama: How the Federal Government Killed a Perfectly Good Washing Machine
since comments here and regulation activists try and
deceive people about it..
2007 Energy Act, Second Phase, implementation before 2020:
45 lumen per watt minimum specification, which no known incandescent -"New efficient" or otherwise - can meet,
and which the profit-seeking CFL-pushing manufacturers behind the ban would be unlikely to pursue anyway.
"BACKSTOP REQUIREMENT— if the final rule [not later than January 1, 2017] does not produce savings that are greater than or equal to the savings from a minimum efficacy standard of 45 lumens per watt, effective beginning January 1, 2020, the Secretary shall prohibit the sale of any general service lamp that does not meet a minimum efficacy standard of 45 lumens per watt"
The EIA (see their press releases)
also confirm that any lamp on the market in 2020
"will have to be as efficient as CFLs" by such time.
MORE: The basic intent of replacing incandescent technology is also made clear in section 321 of the Act:
"The Secretary of Energy shall report to Congress on the time frame
for commercialization of lighting to REPLACE incandescent AND halogen
incandescent lamp technology"
(Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007/Title III/Subtitle B/Section 321)
Note: It says "replace" not "improve"....
More on the ACTUAL regulations
with links to the original Act and relevant sections:
http://freedomlightbulb.blogspot.com/2011/07/yes-it-is-ban.html
More seriously : I sell CFLs, and as they're replacing the old ones as we write, the industrial cost is dropping fast, and so the retail price. I think in a year or so CFLs will be competitive with old light bulbs. And nobody will argue anymore.
Ah, and the best replacement for the old ligthbulbs are the halogen lightbulb with the same shape as the old ones.