Make Light Bulbs Great Again: Senate May Repeal Biden Light Bulb Ban

Senators may soon repeal Joe Biden’s ban on affordable light bulbs, which critics note push Americans to use more expensive bulbs filled with toxic metals with no tangible benefit for the environment.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, reports he has “introduced the Liberating Incandescent Technology (LIT) Act, legislation to repeal Biden-era lightbulb regulations that effectively banned incandescent light bulbs nationwide.”

The bill is cosponsored by Senators John Curtis (R–UT), Jim Justice (R–WV), Tom Cotton (R–AR), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).  The legislation “removes ‘general service lamps’ from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Appliance Standards program and repeals three regulations that have wiped incandescent light bulbs off store shelves,” Lee notes.

Specifically, the LIT Act would:

Remove general service lamps from the DOE’s Appliance Standards program;

Repeal two regulations related to the Biden Administration’s 45 lumens-per-watt standard finalized in 2022;

Repeal the April 2024 DOE rule requiring 120 lumens-per-watt by 2028;

Prevent future DOE regulations that target lightbulbs.

“The bill restores Americans’ freedom to choose the best lighting for their homes and businesses,” Lee says, noting, “Millions of Americans still prefer incandescent light bulbs for their warm glow, smooth dimming, classic look, affordable price, and even the gentle heat they give off in colder spaces.”

“These regulations have nothing to do with saving the planet—they’re about controlling people,” said Lee. “If the federal government can dictate the type of lightbulb you use, what can’t it dictate? Americans don’t need Washington to micromanage their light switches.”

“Biden’s out of touch administration imposed totally unnecessary requirements on hardworking Americans and family-owned Missouri businesses decrying climate activism. Americans do not need the federal government to decide which lightbulb they can or cannot use. That’s why I am proud to be co-sponsoring Senator Lee’s Liberating Incandescent Technology (LIT) Act,” said Schmitt.

“Senate Republicans are committed to repealing all of Joe Biden’s radical climate polices. Government bureaucrats should not get to decide which lightbulbs Americans use at home,” said Cotton. 

“This bill is very good news for consumers.  It would expand light bulb choice, increase competition, and reduce prices.  People may or may not want to return to the outlawed incandescent bulbs that would once again be available, but the decision will be back where it belongs – in the hands of homeowners rather than government bureaucrats,” said Ben Lieberman, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Lee notes that “for decades, DOE has imposed efficiency mandates on a range of household appliances through its Appliance Standards program, initially authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. In 2007, Congress expanded DOE’s reach to include lightbulbs under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which directed the Department to consider a minimum efficiency standard of 45 lumens per watt for general service lamps—a move that ultimately led to a de facto ban on incandescent bulbs. The Biden Administration finalized those regulations in 2022.”

 “In 2024, the Biden DOE doubled down with an even stricter rule, raising the efficiency threshold to 120 lumens per watt—a bar that, according to industry sources, disqualifies nearly every LED bulb currently on the market. That rule is scheduled to take effect in 2028,” Lee reports.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.