Washington state says farewell to fluorescents

Flanked by environmental advocates, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1185 into law, making Washington the 8th state to ban mercury-containing fluorescent light bulbs.

The energy efficiency benefits of phasing out fluorescents are expected to save Washingtonians $37 million annually on utility bills by 2035 and avoid 32,000 metric tons of carbon pollution, according to the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. The carbon pollution avoided is the equivalent of taking approximately 7,000 gas powered vehicles off the road every year.

“Washingtonians will see lasting environmental and public health benefits and lower bills because leaders acted to phase out fluorescents,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy.