Biden Administration Close to Victory in Its War on Decent Lightbulbs

The Biden administration will announce on Monday that its battle to end America’s love affair with good lighting is almost at an end. The Department of Energy has crafted a new rule that will “phase out” compact fluorescent light bulbs in favor of LEDs.

“The mandate to the Department of Energy from Congress is to find ways to save money for American consumers,” t White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi told CNN in an interview. “LEDs are now an order of magnitude cheaper than just a decade ago.”

Note the deflection. It’s beautiful that they don’t cost an arm and a leg anymore, but are they as good as compact fluorescents or incandescent bulbs?

That’s a definite no. LEDs are a pain for old people who need more light to read. The light source has to be closer to the surface that needs to be illuminated. And it’s not a soft, white light that’s easy on the eyes.

But if we’re going to get hysterical about saving the planet, decent lighting has to go.

CNN:

Zaidi said that LED lighting technology has improved tremendously since the early days of LEDs, providing better light for a fraction of the cost.

LED bulbs can last three to five times longer than a compact fluorescent bulb, and up to 30 times longer than an incandescent bulb, according to the Department of Energy. Unlike both incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs release very little heat, and thus waste less energy.

“If a particular light fixture was costing someone $10 in a year, then it’s going to be costing much, much less,” Zaidi said.

That’s truly marvelous, and anyone wishing to light their houses with LEDs has my support and encouragement. So what’s the matter with giving us a choice?

What is it about leftists — and particularly greens — who want to take our freedoms from us? Limiting choices in the marketplace is limiting freedom. Do they desire to control us so badly that they need to dictate our choice of residential illumination?

DOE also estimates the proposed changes will help put a dent in planet-warming emissions, cutting 131 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 903 thousand tons of methane over the next 30 years – roughly equal to the electricity that 29 million homes use in one year.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement the changes would “help lower energy costs and keep money in the pockets of American families while reducing our nation’s carbon footprint.”

LEDs are already in widespread use. CNN reports that “nearly 50% of US households said they used LED bulbs for most or all their indoor lighting, according to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.” That compares to just 12% in 2015.

It’s a small issue, and no one is really going to make a stink about it — largely because the government has framed its decision to dictate how we light our homes in terms of the titanic battle against planet-killing CO2.  No one wants to be on the wrong side of that issue.

I imagine that the light bulbs I use will be available for the next decade or so. But someday in the near future, the last decent light bulb will disappear from store shelves and online stores and the world will be poorer for it — and less bright.