If you haven’t heard, the Biden administration is waging war on behalf of the climate/environment. And that means anything that isn’t deemed “energy efficient” is on the chopping block. Beginning August 1, that means incandescent light bulbs will be forever banned.
The plan comes as part of a menagerie of new rules put forward by Biden’s Department of Energy about a year ago. While some rules, such as the potential banning of gas stoves, are still being hotly contested in the Capitol, seemingly lesser ones, such as ones concerning light bulbs, have essentially been given the go-ahead.
According to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the measure is only common sense. As she said in an April 2022 statement, “The lighting industry is already embracing more energy-efficient products.” This will just ensure that the process to a “better and brighter future” is accelerated.
But not everyone agrees.
As Fox News reported, the move isn’t all that different than Biden’s push to outlaw gas-guzzling cars to a great many people.
One letter addressed to the DOE, in particular, notes that it essentially takes away consumer choices.
The coalition of consumer groups wrote that “further regulatory interference in the marketplace is unwarranted given that more energy efficient lighting choices, namely light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, are already available for those consumers who prefer them over incandescent bulbs.”
The groups note that while LEDs are, in fact, more energy efficient with longer lifespans and such, there are some drawbacks for some consumers.
To start with (and just like with electric cars), they are usually quite a bit more expensive. Those living on a budget and paycheck to paycheck might be unable to afford or feel the need to spend extra on LEDs.
Secondly, not all LEDs are compatible with all uses. For instance, finding LEDs that work for some lighting functions, such as dimming, can be quite difficult and even more expensive.
As the letter states, “Consumers are best served by retaining the choice between incandescent bulbs and LEDs rather than regulating incandescent bulbs off the market.”
Additionally, Fox News noted last year that even the Biden administration indicated that the cost to convert everything from incandescent to LED would be rather great – a whopping $407 million, to be exact.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that the political left has already been fired up about getting these new lighting regulations into place for some time.
In fact, the proposals came in under the Trump administration. But Trump didn’t see the worth in doing so at the time, and so he delayed them, saying that “what’s saved is not worth it” in 2019.
And I have to say that I agree.
Hell, even the Residential Energy Consumption Survey seems to admit that a national and official regulation isn’t all that is needed.
According to its data, about 47 percent of US households already use or mostly use LEDs. Only 15 percent use incandescent or halogen lights. Even less, a mere 12 percent, use compact florescent, which would also be banned under the new regulation. Twenty-six percent of the US population said they didn’t care what bulbs they used.
It was also noted that of households with incomes over $100,000, 54 percent use LEDs. Compare this to the 39 percent of households with incomes under $20,000.
Like the electric vehicle, the idea is a good one. However, it should never be pushed on a population, particularly one that either can’t afford it or doesn’t find it practical.
Of course, the liberal elites that make up the Biden administration can’t seem to get that through their heads. And at this point, I doubt if they ever will.
Let’s just say a more conservative administration can’t come soon enough.
