Contact: Ben Somberg, 202-658-8129
Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Energy taking an initial rulemaking step Wednesday on energy efficiency standards for light bulbs:
“This is a key step toward ensuring that all consumers have access to modern light bulbs that don’t leave us paying needlessly high energy bills.”
“More than a decade ago, a bipartisan Congress set a standard requiring that nearly all light bulbs sold would be energy efficient as of January 2020, but the previous administration flouted it. We’ve waited for years while energy-wasting bulbs continue to fill too many store shelves.”
“It’s past time manufacturers stop profiting off a century-old technology that leaves many people paying high bills they can’t afford. Our climate can’t afford wasting energy so flagrantly.”
“Today we’re one step closer to finally seeing the complete transition to low-cost, modern light bulb technology. The Department should move quickly to get this done. It will save consumers about $2.5 billion each year and cut climate-changing carbon emissions from power plants at the same time.”
“About a third of light bulbs sold today are still using incredibly inefficient incandescent technology. Raising the standard will finally ensure that all consumers benefit from low-cost, modern, light-emitting diode (LED) technology that’s also good for the environment.”