DeGette and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Improve Efficiency of LED Lighting

Press Release

Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), along with three original cosponsors, Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Charlie Dent (R-PA), today introduced the EPS Improvement Act (H.R. 518), which will amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to strengthen standards used to keep LED lighting safe and efficient.

Representatives DeGette, Guthrie, Matsui, and Dent issued the following statement on this critical piece of legislation: "By ensuring that our country's energy conservation standards are up to date with the latest developments in high-tech lighting, we can remove obstacles to innovation without sacrificing safety. This bipartisan bill will facilitate the continued growth of LED lighting and will help lower energy prices for American businesses and households."

The bill clarifies the statutory definition of "external power supplies" set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and amends the conditions under which the Energy Department could undertake a rulemaking in the future. The EPCA caused the drivers for Light Emitting Diodes and Organic Light Emitting Diodes to be categorized as external power supplies. With subsequent development of LED and OLED technology and its rising popularity for previously unforeseen uses, the standards need to change.

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