Judge Rejects Attempt To Block California's New Light Bulb Efficiency Standards

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SACRAMENTO (CBS SF/AP) -- A federal judge is allowing California's updated light bulb efficiency standards to take effect with the new year.

The judge rejected a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the American Lighting Association to temporarily block new minimum efficiency standards for light bulbs that the California Energy Commission adopted in November.

The judge says the associations are unlikely to succeed in their lawsuit, which argues that the state rules conflict with federal law. Mueller says state regulators appear to have acted properly under exemptions that gave special privileges to California and Nevada.

The lighting association says California consumers of California will suffer as a result.

Under the ruling, as of January 1, it will be illegal to sell light bulbs that fail to meet the efficiency standard of 45 lumens per watt. Consumers can purchase LED bulbs that emit as much light as an old-fashioned incandescent bulb at a fraction of the energy, that last 10 times longer.

Accorded to the California Energy Commission, businesses and households could save as much as $2.5 billion annually.

Last September, the Trump administration rolled back the Obama-era requirements for light bulbs. California has adopted standards that go beyond the federal rules, despite the rollback.

California