WASHINGTON –
The Biden administration is phasing out old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, accelerating an ongoing trend toward more efficient lighting that officials say will save households, schools and businesses billions of dollars. la every year.
Rules finalized by the Department of Energy would require manufacturers to sell energy-efficient light bulbs, spurring the perennial industry to use LED and compact fluorescent bulbs that last longer than incandescent bulbs from 25 to 50 times. The Trump administration slowed down an earlier phase on incandescent lamps, saying it was targeting rules that burden businesses.
Once the new rules are in place next year, consumers will save nearly $3 billion a year on utility bills, the Department of Energy said. The rules are expected to cut planet-warming carbon emissions by 222 million tons over the next 30 years, an amount equivalent to the emissions generated by 28 million homes in a year, officials said.
“By raising energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, we are putting $3 billion back in the pockets of American consumers each year and significantly reducing our carbon footprint in the world,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. water,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement Tuesday. “The lighting industry has been adopting more energy-efficient products, and this measure will accelerate progress toward delivering the best products to American consumers and building a better future.” brighter and brighter.”
The new regulations expand energy efficiency requirements to a wider range of bulbs and ban the sale of bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt – a measure of the amount of light emitted per unit of electricity.
The Trump administration in 2019 slowed down a years-long effort by Congress and previous administrations to shift Americans to LED bulbs and other lights that use less electricity. Former U.S. President Donald Trump said in September 2019 that the Department of Energy had canceled pending incandescent light bulb removals because “what’s saved isn’t worth it.”
Supporters hail the latest rule change, saying it will ensure that commonly used bulbs meet easily achievable efficiency standards.
Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council on the Energy Efficiency Economy, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce energy waste and combat climate change.
“LED bulbs have become so cheap that there is no good reason for manufacturers to continue selling 19th-century technology that was not very good at turning electrical energy into light,” says Nadel. The new standards “will eventually phase out energy-wasting bulbs across the country.”
Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Equipment Standards Awareness Project, said that while retailers will likely sell well for low-efficiency bulbs in 2023, “responsable chains have to put up with this.” they’re off the shelves as soon as possible and certainly by the end of the year.”
By 2020, about 30% of light bulbs sold in the United States are incandescent or halogen bulbs, according to industry groups.
