Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
    • Reason TV
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • Free Media
    • The Reason Interview
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • Freed Up
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Log In

Create new account

Policy

The Future is About to Get a Little Darker for California as 100-Watt Light Bulb Ban Kicks in

Nick Gillespie | 12.27.2010 9:47 AM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Come January 1, 2011, California will begin phasing out the legal sale and purchase of 100-watt incandescent light bulbs.

Due to federal legislation proudly signed by George W. Bush in 2007, the rest of the country will face the same issue starting in 2012, as per the Energy Independence and Security Act, which phases out the use of traditional light bulbs between 40 watts and 150 watts over a two-year period.

The Golden State is starting a year early to comply with its own energy-reduction mandates.

Reason's Katherine Mangu-Ward wrote about the coming ban back in 2007 and here's a Reason.tv video on why "compact fluorescent lightbulbs" (CFLs), the favored replacement for Thomas Edison's most iconic invention are not all that.

Hat tip: ginthegin's Twitter feed.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Frank Rich's Selective Nostalgianomics for Disneyland

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

PolicyCultureEnergy & EnvironmentReason.tvEnvironmentalism
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Show Comments (60)

Latest

Research Suggests Trump and His Opponents Are Both Wrong About the Impact of Voter ID Requirements

Jacob Sullum | 7.20.2026 5:25 PM

South Carolina Law Prohibits Tattoo Parlors Near Churches. A New Lawsuit Calls That Unconstitutional.

Meagan O'Rourke | 7.20.2026 4:59 PM

Britain's New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Promises 'Stronger Public Control' of Stagnating Economy

Reem Ibrahim | 7.20.2026 2:16 PM

A Man Died of COVID at This California Detention Center. A Judge Just Ordered Sweeping Improvements There.

C.J. Ciaramella | 7.20.2026 1:35 PM

The Iran War Is Back, Sort Of

Matthew Petti | 7.20.2026 1:21 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS Add Reason to Google

© 2026 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reason's July 4 Special!

For America's 250th, Get 2 Years of Reason for $17.76

Celebrate your independence with a subscription to Reason magazine, your most trusted source of honest, insightful news and analysis.

Subscribe to Reason