This has concerned me for a while since incadescent lights are the only ones I can tolerate. A while back I called a light bulb seller to get the scoop and I just called them again to make sure nothing had changed.
So here's the deal...this is not a ban on the technology itself or on incadescent bulbs as a whole but just a requirement that all bulbs, regardless of the type/technology, need to meet certain efficiency standards. Low-wattage incadescent bulbs already meet those efficiency standards and will continue to be available. Higher wattage incadescent bulbs will simply be re-engineered so that they achieve the same brightness with lower wattage. For example, the popular 60W A19 incadescent bulb will become a 43W incadescent bulb next year.
The guy I spoke to said manufacturer's have had the ability to make incadescent bulbs more efficient for a long time but just had no reason to do so. He compared it to when gas mileage standards for cars were put in place by the EPA...there was some talk about how this was going to be the end of gas fueled cars or that prices were going to sky rocket, but the reality was that the car manufacturers already knew how to build cars that got better fuel mileage but it just hadn't been worth their effort to do so until the law was passed. Once they had to, it really wasn't a big deal. Same with incasdescent builbs.
So bottom line, incadescent bulbs will continue to be available.
Russ
--- In
[hidden email], Marc Martin <marc@...> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I got an email today from a USA company that still manufacturers & sells incandescent light bulbs -- I'm forwarding here some interesting passages from this email:
>
> -----
> The Energy Independence and Security Act commonly referred to as the "Light Bulb Law" was due to take effect January 1, 2012. It's enforcement was suspended due to the congress withholding funding from the Department of Energy (DOE). Tailored Lighting has been working with the DOE obtain a permanent exception... <cut> ...Our remaining options are: DOE enforcement funding continuing to be withheld, or a repeal of the light bulb law by the newly elected Congress.
>
> If you would like to have your voice heard, please contact your newly elected or re-elected representative and ask that he or she vote to repeal the light bulb law so you may continue to have a real choice with your lighting needs.
> ----
>
> I didn't realize that the new law was not being enforced!
>
> Marc
>
Locked
