California Law
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban
incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy
use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The "How Many Legislators Does it
Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of
energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs. "Incandescent lightbulbs were first
developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major
modifications," California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said on Tuesday. "Meanwhile, they
remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive
into light." Levine is expected to introduce the legislation this week, his office said. If
passed, it would be another pioneering environmental effort in California, the most
populous U.S. state. It became the first state to mandate cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions, targeting a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020. Compact fluorescent
lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 25 percent of the energy of conventional lightbulbs. Many CFLs
have a spiral shape, which was introduced in 1980. By 2005, about 100 million CFLs were
sold in the United States, or about 5 percent of the 2-billion-lightbulb market, according to
the U.S.
That number could more than double this year. One large retailer alone wants to sell 100
million CFLs at its stores by the end of 2007, the world's biggest retailer said in November.
While it will not give opinion on the possible California law, the EPA recommends CFLs.
"They save money and energy," EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. "They are more
convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any
fixture." Also, CFLs generate 70 percent less heat than incandescent lights, Jones said.
About a fifth of the average U.S. home's electricity costs pays for lighting, which means
even if CFLs initially cost more than conventional lightbulbs, consumers will save, Jones
said. A 20-watt CFL gives as much light as a 75-watt conventional bulb, and lasts 13 times
longer, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit group studying energy
issues. Southern California Edison, an Edison International subsidiary and one of the
state's biggest utilities, runs a program that cuts the cost of a CFL by $1 to $2.50. In the
past year, SCE has helped consumers buy 6 million CFLs, it said. California Energy
Commission member Arthur Rosenfeld said an average home in California will save $40 to
$50 per year if CFLs replace all incandescent bulbs. While not commenting specifically on
Levine's likely legislation, Rosenfeld, winner of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in
2006, said the switch from incandescent bulbs became feasible about five years ago when
CFL performance improved. "This is clearly an idea whose time has come," he said.
Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys in Los Angeles, last year introduced a bill that will
become law in July that requires most grocery stores to have plastic bag recycling.
incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy
use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The "How Many Legislators Does it
Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of
energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs. "Incandescent lightbulbs were first
developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major
modifications," California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said on Tuesday. "Meanwhile, they
remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive
into light." Levine is expected to introduce the legislation this week, his office said. If
passed, it would be another pioneering environmental effort in California, the most
populous U.S. state. It became the first state to mandate cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions, targeting a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020. Compact fluorescent
lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 25 percent of the energy of conventional lightbulbs. Many CFLs
have a spiral shape, which was introduced in 1980. By 2005, about 100 million CFLs were
sold in the United States, or about 5 percent of the 2-billion-lightbulb market, according to
the U.S.
That number could more than double this year. One large retailer alone wants to sell 100
million CFLs at its stores by the end of 2007, the world's biggest retailer said in November.
While it will not give opinion on the possible California law, the EPA recommends CFLs.
"They save money and energy," EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. "They are more
convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any
fixture." Also, CFLs generate 70 percent less heat than incandescent lights, Jones said.
About a fifth of the average U.S. home's electricity costs pays for lighting, which means
even if CFLs initially cost more than conventional lightbulbs, consumers will save, Jones
said. A 20-watt CFL gives as much light as a 75-watt conventional bulb, and lasts 13 times
longer, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit group studying energy
issues. Southern California Edison, an Edison International subsidiary and one of the
state's biggest utilities, runs a program that cuts the cost of a CFL by $1 to $2.50. In the
past year, SCE has helped consumers buy 6 million CFLs, it said. California Energy
Commission member Arthur Rosenfeld said an average home in California will save $40 to
$50 per year if CFLs replace all incandescent bulbs. While not commenting specifically on
Levine's likely legislation, Rosenfeld, winner of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in
2006, said the switch from incandescent bulbs became feasible about five years ago when
CFL performance improved. "This is clearly an idea whose time has come," he said.
Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys in Los Angeles, last year introduced a bill that will
become law in July that requires most grocery stores to have plastic bag recycling.
