Incandescent bulbs dimming despite GOP efforts on Hill

New light-bulb efficiency standards kicked in Sunday, despite a last-minute Republican move that prohibits the federal government from spending money on enforcement. And while some Republicans have championed the anti-enforcement effort as a temporary death-sentence reprieve of the traditional incandescent bulb, others say the move largely is symbolic, as manufacturers long ago had planned to adhere to the new regulations by Jan. 1. “This decision may have little practical consequence on which incandescent light bulbs are available in stores because, starting January 1, it will be illegal to produce or import the inefficient, wasteful bulbs in the United States,” Sen. Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Democrat and chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in mid-December. The senator added that the five major light-bulb manufacturers already have switched to making and selling the more efficient bulbs. Many consumer advocacy groups agree that handcuffing enforcement likely won’t matter much. “As a practical matter, we don’t think there’s going to be much of an impact,” said Jack Gillis, a spokesman for the Consumer Federation of America, a association of about 280 nonprofit consumer groups. “It’s not as if you need cops out there reading the [packaging] labels.” The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which was signed into law by President Bush, mandates increased efficiency standards for common light bulbs, requiring them to use about 25 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs during a phase-in period between 2012 and 2014...more