New regulations of the US Department of Energy: Cancel the energy policy of LED bulbs from January next year

On September 5th, the US Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a new set of rules. From January 1, 2020, the policy for the transition of LED bulbs will be cancelled. Many believe that the revised policy has revived the energy efficiency standards adopted by Obama in 2017 and will slow down the process of upgrading LED lights.

It is reported that DOE proposed this policy on February 19, 2019 to eliminate the definition of general lighting (GSL) and general incandescent lamps (GSIL) and other complementary definitions using energy efficiency standards.

The US Energy Conservation Economics Council (ACEEE) analyzes that if energy efficiency standards are removed for all light bulbs, US consumers will spend up to $14 billion a year, and callback energy efficiency standards will result in an annual increase in climate change emissions of about 38 million metric tons.

On the other hand, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcomed the final rule and stated that the final rule of the DOE will not affect the continued rapid adoption of energy-efficient lighting in the market in the coming years.