Compact and linear fluorescent product bans are the subject of new legislation in Illinois. House Bill 2363 has left the Energy and Environment Committee of the Illinois House on its way to a floor vote. An excerpt from the their synopsis:
Prohibits offering for sale, selling, or distributing as a new manufactured product (i) a screw-base or bayonet-base compact fluorescent lamp on or after January 1, 2026 (rather than January 1, 2024), and (ii) a pin-base compact fluorescent lamp or a linear fluorescent lamp on or after January 1, 2027 (rather than January 1, 2025). Adds exemptions for specified lamps. Provides that utilities may offer energy efficient lighting, rebates, or lamp recycling services, or claim persisting energy savings based on fluorescent technology resulting from such programs, through its energy conservation and optimization plans approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission under certain provisions.
From a utility rebate perspective, a number of points:
* No CFL sales after January 1, 2026. On the surface, this would certainly indicate the demise of any remaining LED screw-in rebates, if EISA hasn't already.
* No Linear Fluorescent sales after January 1, 2027. Again on the surface this would be a leading indicator of removing indoor LED fixture rebates.
* But then this bill throws out an odd sentence. "Utilities could still claim persisting energy savings based on fluorescent technology". In other words, utilities could still get energy savings credit against their goals for incentivizing LED products that replace fluorescent baselines, even though they are no longer available for sale!
So we could see a world(in Illinois, at least) where commercial/industrial LED rebates persist past Jan 1, 2027. Interesting times.
We'll be curious what Illinois energy efficiency programs do with this exception, but first, let's see if the bill will turn into law.