The Trump administration announced Friday that it would block a rule designed to phase out older incandescent bulbs and require Americans to use energy-efficient light bulbs.
In announcing the move, the secretary of energy, Dan Brouillette, who is a former auto lobbyist, said the administration had chosen “to protect consumer choice by ensuring that the American people do not pay the price for unnecessary overregulation from the federal government.”
— The New York Times
The rule in question was set to phase out the use of inefficient incandescent light bulbs on January 1, 2020 through the imposition of stringent energy efficiency standards initially crafted in 2007 under the administration of President George W. Bush.
Regarding the measure, The New York Times quotes President Donald Trump as saying, “The new bulb is many times more expensive, and I hate to say it, it doesn’t make you look as good,” adding, “We’re bringing back the old light bulb.”
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The new rule was unnecessary, [Brouillette] said, because innovation and technology are already “increasing the efficiency and affordability of light bulbs without federal government intervention.”
Can we assume, then, that standards set in 2007 for a rule to take effect next year had no influence on the development of more efficient bulbs?
But the LEDs I buy, quite cheap, quite warm in color but not hot to touch, are made in China, as were the incandescents I replaced them with. I don't know about other brands. Do we make incandescents anymore? GE was the last major factory, and it shut down in 2010.
I'm curious how all this shakes down for consumers, suppliers, and producers if we have any. But I will save x hundreds of bucks in electric bills, the nation y billions, the electric grid z fewer megawatts. I look the same, btw, before and after.
“to protect consumer choice by ensuring that the American people do not pay the price for unnecessary overregulation from the federal government.”
The sense is Trump is doing this on "principle," that it's a symbolic act meant to send a message to all those corrupt liberal scientists and conservationists as well as to his faithful hoard. And maybe it's personal. He wants bulbs that make him look good.
The packaging says my bulb will last 20 years of normal use, and I have to confess it sometimes upsets me that the bulb might last longer than I will.
What's most upsetting is that we just expect this kind of behavior from the Trump and are getting used to it. Also feeling more and more stupid for stating the obvious—is that his strategy? And he's not done yet.
(R. Crumb)
But weren't we happier in our good old incandescent days?
Keep on truckin'.
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