(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) In another Biden edict to advance the administration’s climate-alarmist agenda, new regulations that will effectively ban incandescent light bulbs were activated this week.
The enforcement of the Energy Department’s latest assault on lower-income and middle-class consumers forces them into buying LED bulbs by banning the production and sale of the cheaper incandescent alternative.
To ensure compliance, businesses that continue to manufacture and hawk the lower-cost alternative will face fines of up to $540 — per bulb.
On the consumer side, LEDs cost upwards of a staggering $4 more per bulb to buy, but purportedly use less energy, last longer and by some Biden department and LED industry estimates can save users about $100 per year.
The immediate financial hit from Biden’s ban will impact all consumers, with the biggest jolt felt by high-poverty urban areas where the green bulbs are more expensive and less available, according to a University of Michigan study that raised concerns about “energy injustice.”
“You might not be able to pay your mortgage or afford groceries, but at least Joe is going after the important stuff like lightbulbs,” cracked conservative commentator Toni Lahren.
A benevolent Energy Department assured that the “benefits” of the new draconian mandate “will extend far into the future, improving conditions for the American consumer and our partners in the lighting industry as we accelerate our progress toward net-zero carbon emissions.”
Aside from the inflationary financial implications, Biden’s bulb mandate carries health risks with LED bulbs having a history of causing eye damage and triggering migraine headaches.
You guys would be shocked to see how many boxes of incandescent light bulbs I have stocked in my cupboard. I absolutely REFUSE to live in bad light.
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) July 28, 2023
Along with the negative financial and health impacts, critics ripped Biden’s bulb ban as yet another gross overreach of government powers.
The same radical rules and punitive mandates being pushed by the Biden administration and his eco-crat backers on their collective crazed rush “toward net-zero carbon emissions” include targeting everything from lawnmowers and leaf blowers to pizza ovens, water heaters, gas-powered generators and gas stoves.
“The Biden administration’s ban on incandescent light bulbs goes into effect on Tuesday, forcing everyone to purchase more expensive, energy-efficient bulbs such as LED and fluorescent,” tweeted Sarah Fields, president of Advocacy for the Texas Freedom Coalition. “So much for getting government out of our homes and lives.”
President Biden continues to push liberal fantasies through his weaponized federal agencies.
The Department of Energy should be focused on American energy independence, not on what lightbulbs you can or can’t purchase for your home or business. https://t.co/fazKWgb59z
— Rep. Andy Barr (@RepAndyBarr) July 31, 2023
