The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) seeks public comments on new labels that emphasize lumens, not watts, as the measure of bulb brightness. This information, along with estimated energy cost information, would appear on the front of light bulb packages.
The back of the package would display a "Lighting Facts" label modeled after the "Nutrition Facts" label for food packages. The Lighting Facts label would provide information about brightness, energy cost, the bulb's expected life, color temperature (whether the bulb provides "warm" or "cool" light), as well as wattage. The label also would require disclosures for bulbs containing mercury. The bulb's output in lumens-and a mercury disclosure for bulbs that contain mercury-would also have to be on the bulb itself. The NOPR was published in the Federal Register on November 10, and comments are due by December 28.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires the FTC to consider the effectiveness of current bulb labeling requirements and explore alternative labeling approaches. As the first step, the FTC issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking last year, seeking comments on existing labeling requirements and possible labeling alternatives, and then held a public roundtable to gather more information. See the FTC press release, and the Federal Register Notice (PDF 663 KB), which includes samples of the proposed labels.
Fuel Economy for New Vehicles Rises for Fifth Straight Year
The average fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. for Model Year (MY) 2009 is estimated at 21.1 miles per gallon (mpg), an increase of 0.1 mpg over last year's figure, according to the U.S. EPA. The EPA bases its fuel economy estimates on sales projected by automakers prior to the launch of the model year - because of the economic climate, the EPA is uncertain about this year's projection.
EPA adjusted last year's projection upward based on actual sales, as consumers bought more fuel-efficient vehicles than automakers expected. As a result, the average fuel economy for MY 2008 is now 21 mpg, up from the estimated 20.8 mpg, which means that fuel economy rose 0.4 mpg for MY 2008. That adjustment also lowered the estimated fuel economy gain for MY 2009.
This marks the first time that data for carbon emissions are included in the annual report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009." The report confirms that average carbon emissions decreased and fuel economy increased for the past five model years.
Average carbon emissions decreased by 39 grams per mile, or 8%, and average fuel economy increased by 1.8 mpg, or 9%, since 2004. This trend reverses a long period of decreasing fuel economy from 1987-2004, and returns average fuel economy to early 1980s levels. The report also provides data on carbon emissions, fuel economy, and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles, including cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. See the EPA press release and the report.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
