State Bills Promote Use of Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Mar 15, 2007
On March 14, Phillips Electronics became the first major North American producer of incandescent light bulbs to call for their phase-out by 2016. The announcement follows the recent introduction of legislation in California (AB722), Connecticut (SB1432), North Carolina (HB838), and Rhode Island (SB806) to ban the sale of incandescent bulbs, which use more energy than existing energy-efficient lights. Last month, Australia announced it will begin to phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2010.
Another California bill, AB1109, introduced by NCEL participant Assemblyman Jared Huffman would require the state to set strict energy and lighting efficiency standards for bulbs while also reducing the amount of hazardous materials, such as mercury, used in energy efficient light bulbs.
Phillips is leading the Lighting Efficiency Coalition -- comprised of the Alliance to Save Energy, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Californians Against Waste, Natural Resources Defense Council and Earth Day Network - calling for support of public policies to phase-out the inefficient lamps. The Phillips' press release says public policy measures could include green procurement, environmental performance targets, and financial incentives to secure participation from the leading manufacturers. Incandescent lights would be replaced by compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), energy-saving halogen lamps, and by light emitting diode (LED) lamps.
- In the United States there are approximately four billion screw-base light sockets that currently house inefficient, old-style general service incandescent lights.
- If adopted across the United States, energy-efficient lighting would save consumers and business approximately $18 billion annually on electricity bills.
- Annual energy demand for lighting would be reduced by the equivalent of what is generated by 30 nuclear power plants or up to 80 coal burning power plants.
- More than 158 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 5,700 pounds of air-born mercury emissions would be eliminated.
Other states are targeting the incandescent bulbs financially. Minnesota legislation, SF1442, would place a 25 cent tax on each incandescent bulb sold. Connecticut's bill also includes a 10 cent "surcharge" on any incandescent lamp.
A few states, such as Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Texas are considering legislation this year to require or encourage state agencies to replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs in state buildings.
Links to legislation in CA, CT, NC and RI to ban inefficient light bulbs are below.
California Assemblyman Huffman's AB1109, which sets standards as opposed to an out-right ban, and supporting documents can be found here:
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2007) (a) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall study the availability of energy efficient lamps such as compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps and high-intensity discharge lamps at competitive prices for consumers and compile a list of inefficient incandescent lamps. For the purposes of this section, "incandescent lamp" means a light bulb that produces a soft warm light by electrically heating a tungsten filament until it glows where much of the energy is lost as heat.
(b) Not later than one hundred eighty days after the Commissioner of Environmental Protection posts such a list on the Department of Environmental Protection's web site, no retailer or wholesaler shall sell any lamp classified on such list. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall issue a written warning to any retailer or wholesaler who violates this subsection. Not later than thirty days after the Commissioner of Environmental Protection issues such a warning, the wholesaler or retailer shall pay a fine of not more than one hundred dollars for each sale of an inefficient incandescent lamp subsequent to the receipt of such warning.
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2007, and applicable to sales occurring on or after said date) There is hereby imposed a surcharge of ten cents on each sale of an incandescent lamp. Said surcharge shall be in addition to any tax otherwise applicable to any such transaction. On or after October 1, 2007, each retailer who collects such surcharge shall remit the total amount of the surcharge collected each calendar quarter to the Comptroller for deposit in the Renewable Energy Investment Fund created under section 16-245n . For the purposes of this section, " incandescent lamp" means a light bulb that produces a soft warm light by electrically heating a tungsten filament.
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RHODE ISLAND bill language from SB806, introduced March 1, 2007:
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText07/SenateText07/S0806.htm (m) "General service incandescent lamp" means a standard incandescent or halogen type lamp that is intended for general service applications and has all of the following:
(A) A medium screw base.
(B) A wattage rating no less than twenty-five (25) watts and no greater than one hundred fifty (150) watts.
(C) A A-15, A-19, A-21, A-23, A-25, PS-25, PS-30, BT-14.5, BT-15, CP-19, TB-19, CA-22, or equivalent shape as defined in the American National Standard Institute C78.20-2003.
(D) A bulb finish of frosted, clear, or soft white type.
(3) A general service incandescent lamp does not include an appliance lamp, black light lamp, bug lamp, colored lamp, enhanced spectrum lamp, infrared lamp, left-hand tread lamp, marine lamp, marine signal service lamp, mine service lamp, plant light, reflector lamp, rough service lamp, shatter resistant lamp, sign service lamp, silver bowl lamp, showcase lamp, three- way lamp, traffic signal lamp, or vibration service or vibration resistant lamp.
(C) Not later than June 1, 2012, a general service incandescent lamp shall not be sold in the state.
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