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Last Updated: May 17th, 2007 - 10:00:42 |
Alliance Seeks Full Energy-Efficient Lighting in U.S.
By greenbiz.com
Mar 14, 2007
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WASHINGTON, Mar. 14, 2007 -- The
Alliance to Save Energy today joined other energy-efficiency advocates
and light bulb giant Philips Lighting North America in a coalition to
advocate for policies that will transform the U.S. marketplace to
energy-efficient lighting products by 2016.
It is the intent of the Alliance and the other founding coalition
members eventually plan to expand the group to include a wide range of
organizations, including manufacturers of both lighting fixtures and
bulbs, trade associations, interested environmental and consumer groups
and others, which they said would help to ensure successful execution
of this ambitious agenda.
Once completed, this market transformation will save consumers and
businesses approximately $18 billion annually on electricity bills and
save an amount of lighting energy equivalent to the power generated by
30 nuclear power plants or up to 80 coal-burning power plants. In
addition, energy-efficient lighting would avoid powerplant emissions of
more than 158 million tons of carbon dioxide and 5,700 pounds of
airborne mercury.
Members of the Lighting Efficiency Coalition have pledged to push
for government and utility incentives that would encourage consumers
and businesses to work to achieve this goal. The incentives will help
them replace their traditional incandescent light bulbs with
energy-efficient alternatives like compact fluorescent bulbs,
energy-saving halogen bulbs, and eventually new lighting technology
such as light-emitting diodes. The coalition will also advocate for
wider use of higher-efficiency fluorescent lighting in commercial
buildings and more energy-efficient street lighting systems.
To back up these incentives, the coalition will support
technology-neutral performance standards that will work along with
market forces to move the U.S. lighting market away from inefficient
products and towards adoption of these and other energy-efficient
alternatives.
"The Alliance to Save Energy is pleased to be part of this new
coalition committed to advocating for public policies to speed the
phase-out of inefficient lighting products by 2016," said Alliance
President Kateri Callahan. "The economic, environmental, and national
security benefits of such a market transformation include lower energy
costs for consumers and businesses, less air pollution and greenhouse
gas emissions, and extension of our nation's limited energy supplies."
Callahan applauded Philips for its leadership on the initiative,
which she said builds on similar approaches in Europe, Australia, and
recent proposals in California. The Philips Lighting Company is the
world's largest manufacturer of light bulbs and lighting products.
"As chairman of the Alliance to Save Energy, I am a strong advocate
for innovative ways we can increase energy-efficiency," said Sen. Mark
Pryor (D- Ark.). "This coalition is a great example of how industry and
government can work together and benefit both consumers and the
environment."
In addition to the Alliance and Philips, members of the coalition
include the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the
Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Day Network, and Californians
Against Waste.
The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business,
government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the
efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the
environment, economy, and national security.
Source: http://greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=34721
© Copyright 2007 by CivilizedNation.com
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