Jan 05 - Columbia Daily Tribune

The light-bulb design Thomas Edison created in 1879 has been relatively unchanged for more than a century, but its days are numbered.

The death sentence comes courtesy of the federal energy bill signed into law in December. A provision will make it unlawful for stores to sell incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012.

Customers will instead be asked to purchase compact fluorescent lights, which are more expensive but are said to last more than 10 times longer while using only a fraction of the wattage. General Electric projects $36 in savings over the five-year lifespan of its 15-watt CFL bulb that sells for $6.50.

The light bulb switch was tucked away in the Energy Independence and Security Act that gained national attention mainly for increasing fuel efficiency standards on U.S. auto manufacturers.

Although many believe the move to more efficient bulbs is inevitable, some bristle at government making it mandatory.

The national Libertarian Party was among the first to dive into the fray, calling it "comical."

"If Americans believe incandescent light bulbs are bad for the Earth, then they can make their own decisions on whether or not to replace them with any other type of lights," said Shane Cory, executive director of the Libertarian Party.

He compared the light bulb restriction to low-flow toilets mandated in several states to minimize water use. "It should be an individual or a family decision."

In Columbia, incandescent bulbs still rule the market, outselling CFLs four or five to one, according to retailers.

"Price is still going to be a big factor," said Steve Sholtz, floor supervisor at Westlake Hardware on Business Loop 70.

For the past four years, Westlake and Hy-Vee have partnered with the city of Columbia to offer a $2 rebate to Columbia Water and Light Department customers who exchange old bulbs for CFLs. In its first year, the city-wide program handed out 6,000 rebates. In 2007, between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, that total swelled to more than 10,000.

"I think as energy prices continue to rise, people are more aware of some of the smaller things they can do," said Water and Light spokeswoman Connie Kacprowicz. Electric rates in Columbia rose 9 percent this year and are expected to keep rising in coming years.

Kacprowicz said many of the minor nuisances that plagued the early versions of CFL bulbs are being fixed, including amber coloring that resembles traditional bulb lighting and variable shapes and sizes.

"It's not just the swirly type of bulbs anymore," she said.

At light-bulb wholesaler Phillips Electric Co. on Vandiver Drive, salesman Tim Steele walked through aisles and aisles of incandescent bulbs awaiting shipment to customers, including the University of Missouri and Columbia College.

"We do sell compacts, but we also have a lot of case-type buyers that buy 120 in a case because they own a big apartment complex or something like that," Steele said.

Sales of CFLs are growing, he said, "but it's still not a one-for-one thing yet."

Steele said he doesn't mind the federal government throwing a hammer into the bulb debate.

"I don't think they're going to be illegal," he said of incandescent bulbs. "They're not going to come knock on your door and make you take them out or anything. ...Without us pushing it, it's probably not going to happen across the board. People will still want to spend 50 cents instead of $6, and that's purely an economic thing."

But some people say the new rule might be too heavy-handed.

"My feeling is, the carrot and the stick are both good tools," Columbia water and light energy management specialist Jay Hasheider said.

He has been working on the city's program to incorporate solar energy into the electrical grid.

"The stick is that you pay more for wasted energy usage or poor energy choices," Hasheider said, "and the carrot is what you do with education and leading in the right direction with rebates and things like that for commercial customers. ... To just force an issue is not something we do."

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