SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois State Senate passed a bill to phase out fluorescent lighting on May 24th.
The switch to LEDs will save Illinois consumers more than $1.5 billion on utility bills, avoid 2.2M metric tons of CO2 emissions by cutting energy waste and prevent 419 pounds of mercury pollution by 2050, according to the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.
"Clean Lighting Act is a clear winner – it will save consumers money, cut energy waste, and remove a persistent neurotoxin from the Illinois waste stream," said state Sen. Adriane Johnson, the bill sponsor. "I am proud to have led on an issue that will save my constituents money and protect our environment."
Illinois will become the 10th state to pass clean lighting policies after Minnesota passed similar legislation last week.
"Energy efficiency is the foundation of the clean energy transition. The cheapest, cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use," said Illinois PIRG State Director Abe Scarr. "We thank Senator Johnson and Representative Nicholas Smith for their leadership on this important policy."
Three in four fluorescent lamps are improperly disposed of, leaving those who work in our waste streams potentially vulnerable to overexposure, according to PIRG. The 419 pounds of mercury that could be kept out of the Illinois waste stream is enough to contaminate more than 20 billion gallons of water.
"Over the course of the last ten years, LEDs have become widely available and cost-effective replacements for fluorescent bulbs," said Josh McClenney, state policy associate with the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. "This legislation will save families and small businesses millions on their utility bills. It’s a common-sense policy."
The utility bill savings of replacing fluorescent lights with LEDs could be $900 a year for a small office and $3,700 per year for an average school, said Scarr.
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May 24, 2024 at 06:52PM
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