A loophole in the incandescent light bulb ban?

We may not have to give up our 100 watt incandescent light bulbs after all. No, Congress hasn't repealed their idiotic law, which is still scheduled to go into effect in a mere 26 days. But a South Hackensack, NJ company seems to have found a loophole in the upcoming ban — "rough use" standards.

Larry Birnbaum, owner of the Light Bulb Store in South Hackensack, thinks he has a bright idea. He developed the Newcandescent bulb, an incandescent bulb that meets new federal standards for so-called "rough" use (like in a moving car or truck) but that he wants to sell for everyday use. He compared it to a doctor prescribing a drug for one condition, even though it was originally developed for another.

Tell me more!

He hopes to start selling the new bulbs in January. They will go for about $1.65 each, compared with about 60 cents for current incandescents and about $2.25 to $3.50 for compact fluorescents that give the equivalent of 100 watts of light.

I bet that price will come down as he ramps up production.

Birnbaum made a few changes to the typical "rough-use" incandescent to meet new federal standards, including using krypton gas to make it last 10 times longer. But he acknowledged that they're not as energy-efficient as LEDs and compact fluorescents.

"People want a choice," said Birnbaum, whose family has been in the lighting industry for three generations (his grandfather knew Thomas Edison). Along with selling light bulbs in his small store, Birnbaum also imports, develops and manufactures them. His company employs six people in South Hackensack and 60 at a factory in Indiana.

Of course we want a choice!. Nobody would willingly endure LED flicker or the harsh industrial glare of CFL bulbs over the warm soothing hues of traditional incandescent light. If energy-efficiency truly made for a better light bulb it wouldn't be necessary to mandate their use.

And wow, his "Newcandescent" bulbs are American-made? It's our patriotic duty to buy them!

UPDATE 05 Dec 2011 12:35:
Linked by Theo Spark. Thanks!

UPDATE 05 Dec 2011 13:47:
"No black market required," says The Rhetorican.

UPDATE 05 Dec 2011 21:33:
Also linked by Bob Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints. Thanks!

And Parkway Rest Stop graciously links. They've been following this issue since 2007, with a timeline of warmist atrocities.

UPDATE 06 Dec 2011 08:15:
Doug Ross links! Thanks.

UPDATE 06 Dec 2011 10:13:
Linked by Bubba too!

UPDATE 08 Dec 2011 19:22:
Linked by The Daily Bayonet and Republican Redefined.

Thank you Gentlemen!

Posted at 12:08 by Chris Wysocki   [/agw]   Comments | Perm Link |
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