California becomes first state to phase out incandescents

As the new year rolled in, California became the first state to phase out inefficient incandescent lightbulbs. The state opted to put the new standard in place a year earlier than the rest of the country, and since more people live in California than any other state, it becomes a test market for the rest of the nation.

Californians may still see 100-watt bulbs on store shelves, but once they're sold, that's it. Bulbs made this year must use 28 percent less energy; a 100-watt replacement could use 72 watts, at most. (The 60-watt bulb, the most common, will be around until 2013 in California). 
 
"The new standard will allow consumers to choose from a wide range of available products including incandescent halogen, compact fluorescent, and light-emitting diode bulbs," says Adam Gottlieb, a spokesman for the California Energy Commission, via e-mail. "Consumers are not required to buy any specific type of replacement bulb."
 
Energy-saving, long-lasting CFLs and LED lightbulbs are taking the place of incandescents. Ikea just announced that the retailer will no longer be selling incandescent bulbs in its U.S. stores. And while buying an incandescent bulb is easy—all you need to know is the watts you want—finding the right CFL or LED requires some homework.  For example, the Ikea Sparsam Energy Savings porch bulb was the lowest-scoring CFL in our tests. Five of the 10 bulbs tested failed before 3,000 hours. 

Check our advice on how to choose a lightbulb and then see our Ratings of CFLs (available to subscribers). As for LEDs, we're testing them and will report back. And finally, consider that as California goes, so goes the nation. Or does it? 
 
—Kimberly Janeway