We, the undersigned organizations, write to encourage you to support and pass legislation (
HB2363, Smith) to phase-out the sale of new fluorescent lamps in Illinois. Mercury-containing lighting equipment can be easily and affordably replaced by much more energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting equipment.
This bill will protect Illinois residents from the unnecessary threat of mercury exposure from breakages of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps while also saving consumers money on utility bills. It can also serve as a climate protection initiative, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy through increased use of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions.
LED bulbs that replace mercury-containing bulbs are widely available and an easy retrofit solution that will save STATE residents and businesses money year after year. A new study published jointly by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), CLASP, and the Clean Lighting Coalition has found that LEDs are now widely available as drop-in replacements for fluorescent bulbs of all shapes and sizes.
In addition, linear LED bulbs do not contain mercury, last about two times longer than fluorescents and cut energy use in half. A typical school, which utilizes four-foot linear lighting, would see about $24,000 in lifecycle savings by switching to LEDs while a typical office, which also uses four-foot lighting, would see about $6,000 in savings.
Ending the sale of general-purpose, four-foot fluorescent light bulbs in Illinois would result in 1,964 gigawatt hours of saved electricity and save Illinois consumers about
179 million from reduced utility bills annually by 2030.
Illinois would not be alone in recognizing that the time has come to phase out fluorescents. The European Union has already set a market precedent by adopting regulations phasing out general purpose fluorescent lighting across Europe in 2023. In 2022, Vermont and California became the first states to phase out the sale of most fluorescent bulbs. In 2023, Hawaii, Oregon, Colorado, Maine, and Rhode Island adopted similar policies. As more states move to eliminate fluorescents, states without a clean lighting policy risk becoming a dumping ground for inefficient, mercury-containing bulbs that suppliers cannot sell elsewhere.
Mercury-containing fluorescent light bulbs are a threat to public health and our environment, an economic waste, and a hindrance to meeting our climate goals. For these reasons, Illinois should immediately adopt HB2363 to phase out the sale of the most common mercury light bulbs, allowing efficient, cost-effective, mercury-free LED lighting to replace them.
Sincerely,
