Obama to pull plug on energy guzzling lights

Fresh from securing victory in the House of Representative vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, the Obama administration pressed on with its low-carbon programme this week with a raft of new energy efficiency initiatives, including new standards for household and commercial lamps and lighting equipment.

Presenting the new standards at an event at the White House alongside energy secretary Steven Chu, Obama said that the changes would deliver sizable cost savings across the US economy.

"I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because seven per cent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses," Obama told reporters, adding that the lighting in the White House would be changed to comply with the new standards.

The new standards are to come into effect from 2012 and apply to General Service Fluorescent Lamps (GSFL), which are commonly found in residential and commercial buildings, and Incandescent Reflector Lamps (IRL), which are typically used in recessed and track lighting.

According to Department of Energy figures, the effective ban on the most energy profligate lights will result in avoided CO2 emissions of up to 594 million tons between 2012 and 2042, saving consumers and businesses $1bn to $4bn a year over the same period.

"When it comes to saving money and growing our economy, energy efficiency isn't just low-hanging fruit; it's fruit lying on the ground," said Chu. "The most prosperous, competitive economies of the 21st century will be those that use energy efficiently."

The standards will soon be followed by new rules on other types of household appliances after the White House instructed the Department of Energy back in February to accelerate the pace with which it introduces new energy efficiency standards.

The new standards were accompanied by the announcement that the Department of Energy is to distribute $346m of economic stimulus funding to building energy efficiency projects.

More than $120m has been earmarked for projects focused on improving the efficiency of commercial and residential buildings, while $100m will be invested in improving new building designs. Meanwhile, more than $70m will be spent on improving the energy efficiency of building appliances, primarily through expansion of the Energy Star labelling programme, and $50m will fund research and development into energy efficient solid state lighting.