Are Light Bulbs Insignificant?

Some have grumbled at the Obama Administration's recently-announced standards for light bulbs. But changing industry standards for lighting would have no small effect, says Mark Muro of Brookings.

1 minute read

July 7, 2009, 10:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"The rationale for having the government, rather than the market, set efficiency standards for lighting and other appliances is fairly straightforward. Building and real-estate markets are highly fragmented, and none of the many players-banks, mortgage companies, architects, landlords, contractors, decorators, renters, utilities-have a clear and consistent incentive to demand or install energy-saving innovations. Having the DOE speed up the adoption of bulbs that will be up to 80 percent more efficient than current models will help consumers save $4 billion per year on energy bills between 2012 and 2042, and will eliminate the need for two to seven gigawatts of electricity generation-as many as 14 coal-fired power plants. "

Monday, July 6, 2009 in The New Republic

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