Dec 20, 2019 - Energy & Climate

Trump administration to roll back Bush-era light bulb standards

Fadel Allassan

The Energy Secretary at his hearing. — Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The Trump administration announced plans on Friday to block a George W. Bush-era rule intended to mandate Americans use energy-efficient general purpose light bulbs.

Details: The rule was required by legislation passed in 2007, and would have gone into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, per the New York Times. It required the majority of bulbs sold in the U.S. be LED or fluorescent.

The big picture: Friday's decision follows the Department of Energy's September rollback of a rule that applied efficiency standards to specialty light bulbs.

What he's saying: Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said the rollback intends “to protect consumer choice by ensuring that the American people do not pay the price for unnecessary overregulation from the federal government,” per NYT.

Brouillette added that the new rule isn't needed because innovation is already "increasing the efficiency and affordability of light bulbs without federal government intervention.”

The impact: The Natural Resources Defense Council estimated the administration's decision could cost consumers an additional $14 billion on energy bills each year, the NYT notes.

But, but, but: Several states have independently passed laws matching the standards of the Bush-era rule, the Times notes.

Go deeeper: Climate change's vanishing act at Trump's G7

Add Axios on Google

Trump administration to roll back Bush-era light bulb standards

What to read next