Will Trump’s DOE Propose To Roll Back Light Bulb Standards?

A proposed rule on light bulb standards will soon be released. Manufacturers have lobbied for an illegal rollback of strong standards with which they must comply beginning in 2020.

By Andrew deLaski

The Trump administration will soon release a proposed rule on light bulb standards. The details are under wraps, but manufacturers have lobbied for an illegal rollback of strong standards with which they must comply beginning in 2020. Our new issue brief shows what’s at stake.

light bulb standardsFew energy efficiency success stories are bigger than the national light bulb standards. Enacted by the US Congress and President Bush in 2007, they are delivering huge savings for consumers and the environment. They helped spur the investments and market changes that have resulted in the low-cost, high-quality LEDs (light emitting diodes) that are now widely available.

Initial standards, which we refer to as stage 1, started taking effect in 2012. Last year, the US Department of Energy (DOE) widened the range of light bulbs that must comply with tougher standards (stage 2), slated for 2020. These 2020 standards will expand the LED market and further reduce costs for consumers, ensuring affordable LEDs will be widely available for all types of bulbs commonly used in US homes.

We estimate that US light bulb standards will save consumers more than $5 billion on electricity bills this year alone. After 2020, when manufacturers and retailers must comply with stage 2, annual consumer bill savings will grow, reaching about $22 billion in 2025 (about $180 for an average household)…

Continue reading deLaski’s recent blog post on the ACEEE website.

light bulb standardsAndrew deLaski is Executive Director, Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization which acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors.