Home › e-Efficiency News ›

Amendment to Weaken Energy-Efficient Lighting Standards Passes House

Share this
Add a comment

Date: Jul 27, 2011

changing an traditional incandescent bulb for an energy-efficient light bulb

The light bulb standards, which were enacted in 2007 and require incandescent light bulbs to be roughly 30% more efficient starting in 2012, are under attack. A recent amendment to a related appropriations bill would pull funding for enforcement and implementation of the standards.  However, the Alliance is fighting to protect the standards, which already are giving Americans more ways to light their homes and lower their electric bills.

Amendment Would Defund, Defang EISA

By a voice vote on July 15, the House passed an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill (H.R.2354) that would prohibit the Department of Energy from funding efforts to implement and enforce the light bulb standards, which were part of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. The appropriations markup is not expected until September.

The amendment to H.R.2354 came a week after the failure of a bill to repeal the lighting standards entirely; the so-called “BULB Act” did not meet its required two-thirds vote. In addition to its own efforts, the Alliance was part of a broad-based coalition of more than 85 companies and organizations that worked to defeat the BULB Act. 

Backpedaling Progress in Manufacturing

Since then-President George W. Bush signed EISA into law in 2007, manufacturers have been hard at work conducting cutting-edge research and development and ramping up manufacture of new, energy-saving bulbs that meet EISA’s lighting standards. This transition is driving home-grown innovation and creating American jobs.

Unfortunately, the amendment to H.R.2354 would undercut the U.S. lighting industry’s investments in new technology, as well as the already strong rollout of more efficient lighting options.

"If the Department of Energy is prohibited from stopping illegal products, manufacturers and their workers will be left in the dark as they obey the efficient lighting law while others bypass it,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “To deny the federal government funding to enforce a duly enacted law is tantamount to encouraging American manufacturers and foreign competitors to break it – something our lawmakers should think twice about," she added.

Defunding the Lighting Standards Would Hurt American Families

In addition to harming manufacturers, the amendment would also slow considerable progress made over the last four years in saving consumers money through new energy-efficient lighting options. In the end, the amendment to H.R.2354 could restrict consumers’ choices.  

“This wrong-headed amendment would only encourage manufacturers of energy-wasting products – products that may cost consumers little up front but strain their wallets in the long term, as well as drain U.S. energy resources and jobs,” Callahan said.

Alliance Informs Policymakers, Consumers About Energy-Efficient Lighting

Given the benefits of EISA, the Alliance is working to squelch rumors that the lighting standards “ban” incandescents and spread the truth about how the lighting standards make bulbs better. 
 
The Alliance is getting the word out on Capitol Hill through its Build Energy Efficiency Campaign, which provides information about energy efficiency to lawmakers, as well as through advertisements in Hill newspapers and other efforts.

For consumers, the Alliance and partner organizations created the LUMEN website, which provides examples of the energy-efficient lighting options that EISA protects.

Get Involved

Join our efforts to protect energy-efficient lighting standards by writing your representative.

Alliance Associates are strongly encouraged to join the Energy Efficiency Coalition, which meets weekly to discuss urgent energy and climate legislation, as well as outreach and advocacy opportunities to influence the legislative process. Email Nancy Gonzalez to learn how to get involved.