The U.S. Energy Department confirmed in recent days it is pressing ahead to begin enforcing a ban Aug. 1 on the manufacture and retail sale of most incandescent light bulbs as the latest measure to meet President Joe Biden's “climate goals.” The move reverses a 2019 Trump administration decision.
Team Biden first signaled the ban was coming when the Energy Department made revisions made back in 2022 to its “Cost-Saving Energy Efficiency Standards.” The initial rules gave lightbulb manufacturers two and a half months to phase out incandescent bulbs before the 2023 ban as part of a purported initiative to combat climate change and cut Americans' energy costs.
However, according to a free market consumer group, the claim that switching from incandescents to LED's is the opposite of true. The group penned a letter to the Energy Dept. claiming the LED bulbs that the Biden Administration wants to de facto mandate “currently cost more than incandescent bulbs.” In addition, the group suggested the modern lighting is "inferior" for various functions like dimming.
