Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Redington ShoresNew federal rule would bar ‘noncompete’ agreements for most employees
FILE – General Electric light bulbs are displayed in a supermarket April 5, 2021 in New York. The Biden administration is scrapping old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs. Rules finalized by the Energy Department will require manufacturers to sell energy-efficient lightbulbs, accelerating a longtime industry practice to use compact fluorescent and LED bulbs that last 25 to 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Time is money even when talking about light bulbs. Fluorescent and LED bulbs last 25 to 50 times longer than cheaper incandescent bulbs. The Department of Energy finalized rules requiring manufacturers to sell the more energy-efficient light bulbs. “I have a back porch light on. It’s LED. I’ve had it for 15 years,” said Larry Lauck, the Vice President of the American Lighting Association. Lauck went on to say, “You pay a little bit more on the front end, and you get a better quality of light that’s going to last a lot longer. It’s more energy efficient. So it means from the standpoint of your lighting bill, it’s going to be less.” The rule change that will begin next year is designed to impact more than what light bulbs we buy. The Department of Energy said consumers should save nearly $3 billion per year on their utility bills. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, “By raising energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs, we’re putting $3 billion back in the pockets of American consumers every year.” Officials said this rule change will cut planet-warming carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years. This is equivalent to emissions generated by 28 million homes in a year. Steven Nadel, the executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said, “there’s no good reason for manufacturers to keep selling 19th-century technology that just isn’t very good at turning electrical energy into light.” Lightbulb manufacturers will have to take incandescent bulbs off the assembly line by January 1. You will likely still see them on store shelves until the summer of 2023. The Associated Press contributed to this report.