in a 7-2 vote, the Utilities and Commerce Committee of the California General Assembly approved a bill that would prohibit sales of the grossly inefficent incandescent lighghtbulb statring in 2012.

Incandescent bulbs are terribly inefficient because most of the energy they use produces heat, rather than light. According to the bill’s sponsor, Lloyd Levine, “switching to compact fluorescent lights, while costing more money initially, would save consumers about $62 per bulb because [compact] fluorescents use less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent lights.”

Although this is good news, the bill must make it through the Appropriations Committee before it is sent for consideration by the full Assembly. Click here for the full story