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WASHINGTON D.C. -- Representative Jane Harman (D-Venice), a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy & Air Quality, today introduced legislation to ban the sale of any light bulb that fails to meet the standards of current fluorescent bulbs and sets increasingly higher lumens per watt standards for incandescent bulbs over the next 13 years.
"This legislation is an important step toward making every home, business and public building in America more energy efficient," said Harman. "Most of us still use the same glass and filament bulbs that Thomas Edison invented 128 years ago. When it comes to illumination, we still live in a cave."
Standard incandescent light bulbs currently use 12-15 lumens per watt. The Harman bill would ban the sale of light bulbs using anything less than 60 lumens per watt, the standards met by today's fluorescent bulbs. By 2016, the bill would ban the sale of anything under 90 lumens per watt. And by 2020, the baseline would be set at 120 lumens.
Using this standard - created in consultation with technical experts in the environmental community, architects, engineers, and others - the bill does not discriminate against any bulb type or technological composition. But it does create a standard that makes sense for the market, for the environment, and for America's energy future.
The legislation includes some carve-outs for specialized lighting, such as military, medical, and public safety uses. "But these would be small exceptions rather than the rule," added Harman. A seller of light bulbs would need to seek a waiver and have it approved by a Department of Energy panel to put a non-conforming bulb on the market. These waivers would only be good for two years, pushing the market toward more innovation.
Said Harman, "We must change the way we consume and produce energy in this country. Sometimes the most effective, accessible ideas are also the smallest. One small change that everyone can make is as simple as changing a light bulb."
Today, only 10 percent of the power used by current incandescent bulbs is emitted as light. A full 90 percent is released as heat. The typical 60 watt bulb only lasts 750-1,000 hours. Most fluorescent bulbs can last 8 to 10 times longer.
The continued widespread use of incandescent lighting results in low overall efficiency, high energy costs and output, and in the end, tons and tons of harmful carbon emissions. According to the Department of Energy, one energy efficient bulb can prevent the release of over 450 pounds of greenhouse gases.
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