Incandescent Light Bulb Ban Starts On August 1; Gas Stove Ban Coming Next

It's lights out for the incandescent bulbs that people have known, changed and singed their hands on for 140 years.

The modern descendant of Thomas Edison's most famous legacy is set to formally meet its demise in the U.S. at the end of this month, despite years of efforts by Republicans to extend its lifespan. As of Aug. 1, the Energy Department will fully enforce new efficiency regulations that the old bulbs can't meet, effectively prohibiting their retail sale.

[...] The endgame for old light bulbs came quietly — by early this year, lawmakers had mostly moved on to squabbling over gas stoves and other newer targets of the Energy Department's efficiency efforts.

Over a decade ago, though, the light bulb issue shone bright for tea party conservatives and GOP presidential hopefuls, who accused Democrats of trying to limit consumers' choices.

Republican lawmakers even succeeded in passing legislation to block the Obama administration from carrying out the new efficiency standards — sometimes to the irritation of large light bulb manufacturers that had spent big bucks preparing for them.

[...] The fight zigged, then zagged: The Obama administration took action in its waning days to finalize the bulb efficiency requirements, only for former President Donald Trump — who once proclaimed energy-efficient bulbs made him "look orange" — to halt the move. But DOE pushed the rules to the finish line last year after President Joe Biden came into office with a climate agenda that includes a focus on energy efficiency measures.

DOE completed the action last April, but full enforcement of the rule is set to begin Aug. 1. The transition away from the inefficient bulbs has been underway for more than a year, as the department provided flexibility for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the new standard.

That fight may be settled, but the larger fight over energy efficiency standards is still looming. Republican lawmakers in recent months have continually derided the Biden administration's efficiency actions on everything from more efficient stoves to laundry machines and dishwashers.

For example, the Energy Department is proposing new efficiency standards covering gas stoves as well as electric stoves and ovens. Advocates say the rule would save consumers money on natural gas and lessen a source of greenhouse gas pollution, but critics point to DOE estimates that only about half of gas stoves now in the market could meet the proposed standards — something they contend amounts to a de-facto ban.

[...] DOE said it intends to seek the maximum civil penalty against [light bulb] manufacturers that knowingly distribute products that violate the standards. The department has previously issued civil penalties worth tens of thousands of dollars for companies violating its energy conservation standards.

Forty-seven percent of U.S. households reported using LED bulbs for most indoor lighting in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration, up from only 4 percent in 2015.