(Bloomberg News) The 100-watt incandescent light bulb has been spared from a U.S. phaseout in a spending deal reached by Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress.
Legislation debated today will prohibit the Energy Department from enforcing elimination of the traditional, pear-shaped bulb. Tea Party activists and their Republican allies campaigned against the energy efficiency requirement as an example of government overreach.
The federal standards limited the "freedom of average Americans" to buy whatever type of bulb they wanted, Representative Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, said today in an interview. The House passed the bill today 296-121.
Democrats, environmental groups and bulb makers such as General Electric Co. have fought to keep the 2007 law that requires the use of more efficient bulbs starting next year.
"If America is to have a rational energy policy, we need to make progress in efficiency," Senator Jeff Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat, said in a statement today. "Blocking funds to enforce minimum standards works against our nation getting the full benefits of energy efficiency." The Senate may vote on the bill later today.
The 2007 law effectively phased out the 100-watt incandescent bulb next year by setting efficiency standards it doesn't meet. It would be replaced by compact fluorescent, halogen and light-emitting diode models. Restrictions on other wattages would follow.
Advocates said the standards would save consumers money on their electric bills, and lighting manufacturers said they have already retooled factories to comply. Opponents said consumers should still be able to buy the cheaper incandescent bulb.
Limits On Freedom
"The light-bulb ban is government overreach at its worst," Nick Loris, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, which says it promotes conservative public policies, said in an e-mailed statement. "Washington has absolutely no business in dictating what you can and cannot purchase."
The provision being considered today may have limited practical effects. The 2007 law still requires manufacturers to produce more-efficient bulbs even though the Energy Department wouldn't be able to impose fines for violators.
U.S. manufacturers will comply with the law after investing millions of dollars updating manufacturing plants to produce more efficient bulbs -- including a halogen version with the incandescent model's pear shape -- according to Kyle Pitsor, vice president for government affairs at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, whose members include Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE and Royal Philips Electronics NV in Amsterdam.
Regulatory Uncertainty