TRENTON, NJ – Businesses in New Jersey could be the target of a new ruling by the Department of Energy focusing on eradicating incandescent light bulbs once and for all.
According to DCNF, the Department of Energy is gearing up to impose fines on American companies engaged in buying and selling most incandescent light bulbs, solidifying the market dominance of LED light bulbs, as reported by E&E News. The DOE’s enforcement push comes after years of political and regulatory battles over the status of incandescent bulbs, which were used in approximately 50% of U.S. homes in 2020.
According to E&E News, the DOE has the authority to levy fines of $542 per violation on manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers involved in dealing with incandescent bulbs. For large orders of these bulbs, the penalties could potentially reach millions of dollars.
Unlike previous regulatory efforts that didn’t include retailers, the new enforcement will encompass retailers, significantly broadening the scope of its impact. The DOE has confirmed that enforcement actions are underway, but the full extent of these actions is not yet clear.
Daniel Eisenberg, an attorney with Beveridge & Diamond PC, highlights the far-reaching consequences of this enforcement, stating that the DOE can target anyone in the supply chain, including brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers, distributors, and importers.
While there is no outright ban on incandescent bulbs, the DOE has expanded its regulatory oversight to cover a wider range of light bulbs, adopting efficiency standards established by Congress in 2007. As a result, nearly all incandescent bulbs on the market are expected to fall short of the DOE’s standards.
Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, acknowledges that the era of incandescent bulbs is coming to an end for standard light bulbs.
Although incandescent bulbs may have a lower upfront cost compared to LEDs, the latter are more energy-efficient and prove to be comparatively less expensive over their lifespan, according to Hutton Electric, Heating, and Air.
The DOE’s decision to target other household appliances, such as dishwashers, water heaters, portable gas-fired generators, and gas stoves, further emphasizes the administration’s focus on energy efficiency.
As of now, the DOE has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment on these developments.