Fluorescent lighting will soon become a thing of the past as Oregon is the latest state to begin the process of banning fluorescent and CFL lighting. Oregon’s legislation will enact their new ban in two steps. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the sale and distribution of new screw or bayonet base type CFL’s will be prohibited. Then, in January 2025, the sale and distribution of new pin base CFLs and linear fluorescent will also cease. This paves the way for consumers and businesses to retrofit their lighting systems with environmentally friendly lighting.

Since 2022, six other states enacted similar legislation to begin phasing out fluorescent lighting as a means for consumers to use sustainable lighting options. Vermont and California starting their bans in 2022 then Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, and Rhode Island signed legislation in the summer of 2023. Vermont was the first state to initiate light bulb bans by prohibiting the sale of CFLs in 2022, and in 2024 the ban of sale and distribution of several fluorescent tubes will also go into effect. These actions follow the federal government’s actions to enforce more sustainable lighting practices. The Biden Administration and the Department of Energy have been enacting new rules for lighting to help Americans conserve energy and save money on utility bills.

LEDs are taking the place of the lighting systems that are being banned. LED lighting conserves energy because they do not produce heat when creating light as other types of lighting does. This results in the bulb lighting faster and brighter than lights like CFLs and fluorescents.

Click here to read the full article, originally published October 6, 2023, by Electrical Contractor.