[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     BETTER USE OF LIGHT BULBS ACT

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2011

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2417 proposes to repeal bipartisan, 
common sense lighting efficiency standards signed into law by President 
Bush in 2007. These technology neutral standards simply call for 
efficiency improvements of 25 to 30 percent above traditional 
incandescent bulbs and are broadly supported by industry, environmental 
groups and consumers alike.
  Mr. Speaker, lighting accounts for approximately 19 percent of our 
total electricity use. So the potential for energy savings in the 
lighting sector is substantial. In fact, when these new lighting 
efficiency standards take effect in 2012, they will save the average 
American household over $100 a year in lower electricity bills, negate 
the need for 30 large power plants and avoid approximately 100 million 
tons of carbon pollution, which is the equivalent of taking 17 million 
cars off the road.
  Proponents of this bill falsely claim that these new standards will 
somehow eliminate incandescent bulbs or restrict consumer choice. In 
reality, major manufacturers including GE, Philips and Osram Sylvania 
are already manufacturing a number of bulbs--including incandescent 
bulbs--that meet the new efficiency standards. Additionally, these 
improved standards have drawn new entrants into the market, like North 
Carolina-based Cree, whose innovative LED products are creating jobs 
right here in the United States and giving consumers more choice, not 
less.
  Mr. Speaker, the traditional incandescent bulb was invented over 100 
years ago. We should no more turn back the clock on lighting efficiency 
than we should return to the days of ice boxes and the horse and buggy. 
This is fundamentally backward looking legislation that should be 
soundly rejected.

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