[ASSURAS] Pretty soon, it'll be "lights out" on the old incandescent bulb. A look at some of the newest innovations that'll take its place. More energy efficient, cheaper than you might think, and longer lasting.

[SULLIVAN] So you could have a child, install this in their bedroom, and they could graduate college before they have to change the lightbulb?

[TOM BENTON] They can take the lamp with them to college.

[ASSURAS] The federal phase-out of the old 100-watter takes effect next year. We'll help shed some light on what bulbs might work best for you.

[SIEBERG] We've got a full spectrum of bulbs here, Thalia, to help illuminate all the choices out there.

[ASSURAS] And the Battle of the Bulb. Should the government be telling us how to light our homes?

[REP. JOE BARTON] It's a ban, in reality, and it's unnecessary.

[ASSURAS] We'll talk to the congressman leading the charge against the bulb ban. This is "energyNOW!"

Hello, everyone, I'm Thalia Assuras. Welcome to "energyNOW!", a weekly look at America's energy challenges and what we're doing about them. This week, we're all about something that's confusing or even annoying to a lot of us. What kind of lightbulb to buy, especially now that this thing, the traditional 125-year-old incandescent bulb most of have grown up with, is being phased out.

The 2007 Federal Energy Independence and Security Act, signed into law by President Bush, makes it illegal to sell the traditional 100-watt bulb in the United States, beginning on January 1, 2012. 75-, 60-, and 40-watters will be phased out by 2014, in favor of more energy-efficient bulbs. And Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced that his department is spending $15 million to help eight new projects develop cutting-edge lighting technologies.

Just think about it -- most of the energy of the 100-watt bulb is lost as heat. That's terrific for baking a cake in an Easy-Bake oven, but it wastes a lot of energy. The lightbulb law established specific energy-efficient standards, so many of the traditional incandescent types are disappearing from store shelves. And there are all sorts of new, sometimes funny-looking, bulbs to choose from -- you've seen them. They cost more, sometimes a lot more, than we're used to. And they produce different light. But that is all changing. Lee Patrick Sullivan, who's having his own difficulty giving up incandescents, fills us in in this "energyNOW!" Spotlight.

[SULLIVAN] You come for the good stuff? You a cop? Did you bring cash? All right, I got any wattage you want. Both clear and frosted. Hey, watch it! That's a 110-watt three-way frosted bulb. That's only for my best customers. But you know what? You look like you got a good face. Here you go. 60-watt clear. You and I never met.

Okay, okay, that might be a little overdramatic. But that's the image a lot of people have of the upcoming congressional phase-out of inefficient lightbulbs, starting with the standard 100-watt bulb next year. It's all in an effort to cut down on the country's energy consumption. That's because Thomas Edison's invention wastes a lot of energy. Nearly 90% of the electricity needed to light those bulbs escapes in heat. That's why those things are so hot to the touch.

So, starting next year, store shelves all across the country are going to be dominated with two types of bulbs -- compact fluorescent lights, also known as CFLs, and LEDs, which stands for light-emitting diodes. Each uses about 80% less energy than the old faithful incandescent bulb. But they also have their drawbacks. CFLs aren't as bright as incandescent bulbs, and contain trace amounts of mercury.

LEDs, on the other hand, have come a long way in the past few years in replicating the fullness of an incandescent bulb. But they've been really, really expensive. That is, until now. A Florida company called the Lighting Science Group has produced the first 60-watt equivalent bulb for less than $20.

[Cash register bell dings]

[SULLIVAN] To see this new breakthrough bulb, I went to Philadelphia and checked out LIGHTFAIR, the world's premier lighting trade show.

How did you guys do this? I thought LEDs were supposed to be very expensive.

[TOM BENTON, LIGHTING SCIENCE GROUP] Well, they are, but day in and day out, you're finding ways to get more light out with less energy. The technology is rapidly advancing, and via the optics, the LEDs themselves, which continue to get more and more powerful every day, and the drivers, or what actually controls the devices themselves, inside, become more efficient, costs continue to go down.

[SULLIVAN] And Benton says these bulbs do cost more than an incandescent, but they only use 15% of the energy, and they will last up to 23 years.

So you could have a child, install this in their bedroom, and they could graduate college before they have to change the lightbulb?

[BENTON] They can take the lamp with them to college.

[SULLIVAN] All right! But you realize that you're ruining all those jokes.

[BENTON] Which ones?

[SULLIVAN] How many politicians does it take to change a lightbulb? Now the younger kids will say, "Why would you ever want to change a lightbulb?"

[BENTON] That's right.

[SULLIVAN] You're ruining those jokes for us.

60 watts are cool, but I'm a 100-watt kind of guy. I like things bright. And funny thing, when you're at a trade show -- companies like to roll out the latest and greatest. And today was our lucky day.

Brett, we're hearing a rumor that you guys have a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb.

[BRETT SHARENOW, SWITCH LIGHTING] That's correct, although it's more than a rumor.

[SULLIVAN] Okay, it's true. Is this it right here?

[SHARENOW] It is true, yes.

[SULLIVAN] Now, this is a little heavier than I thought it would be. It's not too heavy, though, but it's nice.

[SHARENOW] Yes, the lightbulb itself is an incandescent-replacement lightbulb. Direct replacement for an incandescent. It provides the same warm incandescent-quality light as we are used to and know and love, but using only 15% of the energy of a regular incandescent.

[SULLIVAN] Sharenow's LED bulb, called the Switch bulb, will be on store shelves in October, and he says it will last about 15 years and will cost around 30 bucks. But the average consumer, he says, will make that investment back in one year in reduced electricity bills. But longer lasting and brightness aren't the only things LEDs bring to the table. Think of it -- they're basically semiconductors that light up.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] To learn more about the 2007 energy efficiency law go to energyNOW.com

[SULLIVAN] And semiconductors can be used for a whole host of neat stuff, like being outfitted with wireless technology so you can dim and set your lights from a computer tablet or your phone. This LED fixture comes with a camera. And there's work going on to put speakers in the LEDs, so you can have wireless sound throughout your home.

Do you think that we'll start to see LED lights not in the lighting section, but in the consumer electronics section?

[BENTON] You absolutely will.

[SULLIVAN] Speakers and cameras are neat and all, but for some people, like me, it may be hard to say goodbye to the incandescent bulb. But maybe it's not a total goodbye. Congress didn't outlaw the incandescent bulb outright. If the bulb can meet certain energy standards, it can be sold.

[MARTHA DELGADO, BULBRIGHT INDUSTRIES] They are not banned. What's happening is that, beginning in 2012, January 1st, they're doing a slow phase-out. And it's not really a phase-out. They're just trying to increase the efficiency of the bulb. So what they're saying is, if you have a 100-watt bulb, you can only use 72 watts now in 2012 to get the same brightness out of that bulb.

[SULLIVAN] So, if you can have an efficient incandescent bulb, we can actually sell incandescent bulbs in the United States.

[DELGADO] Yes.

[SULLIVAN] So, if the thought of using LEDs or CFLs makes your hair stand on end, relax. Incandescents will be here for a long time. They'll just be more efficient. In Philadelphia, Lee Patrick Sullivan, "energyNOW!"

[ASSURAS] Relax? No. A lot of Americans are really upset about the lightbulb law and are still fighting it, including Texas congressman Joe Barton, who is leading the charge to repeal the law. You're going to hear from him in a bit.

Now, on the state level, South Carolina legislators are close to enacting legislation that would override the Fed rules. On the other hand, some states are out in front of the federal laws. California prohibited restocking store shelves with 100-watters in January. And government buildings in New Jersey started switching off incandescents four years ago.

There are some really bright bulbs out there -- had to say it -- who have figured out how to improve the efficiency of our lighting. They know the science behind the different types, and we thought you'd like to know, too. You'll find the full explanation on our Web site, energyNOW.com, but here's a sneak peek at our Energy 101 with little Lee Patrick Sullivan.

[SULLIVAN] Hi, I'm Lee Patrick Sullivan from "energyNOW!" and I'm here to explain to you how the three most popular lightbulbs work. Let's start with the incandescent lightbulb. The modern version of the bulb is credited with being invented by Thomas Edison more than 125 years ago. Let's get small and find out how these things work. Ah, that's better.

Now, once electricity is applied to these two rods on the side here, it travels up and heats this little piece of metal called a filament. It glows red hot, and that creates light. The filament is made of a metal called tungsten. Tungsten can withstand a lot of heat, which is a good thing, because these things get hot, reaching temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. You can fry an egg on this thing. Up to 90% of that energy is wasted through that escaping heat.

[ASSURAS] You can see a lot more of little Lee -- it's cute -- and learn about CFLs and LEDs, as well, on our Web site, as I said, energyNOW.com. Coming up, an interview with Congressman Joe Barton, who's fighting to keep the old incandescents around. But first, there are now so many new bulbs to choose from...

[SIEBERG] We felt this one was warm and buttery.

[ASSURAS] Picking one is almost as tough as choosing just the right bottle of wine. Our very own bulb sommelier, Daniel Sieberg, helps us out.

But first, some bloggers weigh in on bulbs.

[CHRIS KAISER, BLOGGER, MAPAWATT.COM] Efficient lightbulbs will definitely help consumers save energy. It's just simple math. A CFL uses around 15 watts, and a standard incandescent, 60 watts. So it's 75% less energy, and that's all there is to it.

[MARTIN LaMONICA, REPORTER, CNET] Lighting is about 20% of home energy use, so efficient lighting definitely makes a difference. When you put them in place in a commercial area, the savings are even greater, because they use more energy from lighting.

[BREAK]

[ANNOUNCER] How can we reduce our dependence on oil?

[ZEPPS] Imagine if we could harness all this kinetic energy.

[ANNOUNCER] Who is shaping our energy future?

[SUITERS] China will produce more than half the solar panels in the entire world.

[RICHARD BRANSON] If you've got good quality batteries, you could store the wind when there's no wind, store the solar when there's no solar.

[ANNOUNCER] "energyNOW!" is the only TV news magazine exploring our challenges.

[SULLIVAN] Hybrid technology saved the military $250 million.

[WOMAN] It makes sense to make this shift now.

[ANNOUNCER] "energyNOW!" on ABC-7.

[END BREAK]

[ASSURAS] Lightbulbs -- not only do they create a heated conversation, you know, really heated, if you use an incandescent, a conversation on energy efficiency versus energy waste, but also about preference -- you know, cool or warm lighting. And can you really save money with a different kind of bulb? Well, here to help us figure this all out is our tech and gadget expert, Daniel Sieberg, to shed light on all this, and you know I had to say that.

[SIEBERG] You did have to say that, and I'm going to say, we've got a full spectrum of bulbs here, Thalia, to help illuminate all the choices out there.

[ASSURAS] Oh, excellent!

[SIEBERG] So many puns available to us.

[ASSURAS] Yes, yes, what are we going to start with?

[SIEBERG] We're going to go, starting with the bulbs that are on your end here, and we've got a few LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, okay?

[ASSURAS] Turning it on.

[SIEBERG] Now, this is from Philips.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Philips 12 watt Ambient LED $39.97 (60 watt equivalent)

[SIEBERG] This is a 60 watt equivalent bulb, a little on the expensive side, we should say. It's about $40, which is really an investment for people, and of course, with any of these bulbs, you're hoping to save money in the long run, but in particular with LEDs, you're going to fork out a little more cash before you start to save some money. They are, though, about 15 times more efficient in the long run than, say, incandescents.

[ASSURAS] More efficient and longer lasting, though? And potentially -- and definitely longer lasting. And in terms of the light here, we did test all these out. We felt this one was warm and buttery. I feel like a wine taster with some of these descriptions.

[ASSURAS] Oh, well, why didn't you bring any wine? Okay, next?

[SIEBERG] All right, next, this is another LED.

[ASSURAS] I get to turn on the lights.

[SIEBERG] Yes, please. I like that.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] EcoSmart 8.6 watt LED $17.97 (40 watt equivalent)

[SIEBERG] This is the EcoSmart. This is a 40 watt equivalent. so not quite as bright. You're not paying as much, though. It's about $18. And what we found with this one, a little top-heavy in the lighting. In other words, it sort of comes out the top of the bulb in a way that's maybe not as pleasing to some people, and again, with any of these, it's often about personal choice. You know, it's how it looks in a certain room -- in your living room versus your kitchen. You know, how it feels to read something with it. And so that's something to think about with any of these. We felt this one was just a bit too much like a spotlight.

[ASSURAS] Yeah, well, it actually, I don't think it would work if it was recessed, either.

[SIEBERG] Exactly, that's something else to think about, all these different styles. All right, now, this is the final LED, and this is the GE Energy Star. And this is a 40 watt equivalent, again.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] GE 9 watt Energy Star LED $34.98 (40 watt equivalent)

[ASSURAS] Again, oh.

[SIEBERG] The price of this does go up -- this is $35. This one, we thought, was not quite as warm. Again, a little bit top-heavy, not a really great glow, and you can see it's kind of got a bit of a funky design to it.

[ASSURAS] Yeah, what's with that?

[SIEBERG] You know, for some people, that's just a personal preference, and it's the way that it looks, and in some cases, you actually, these bulbs are exposed, and so you would see them, but it's just another thing to think about. So those are LEDs there.

[ASSURAS] So those are -- should I turn all three on? Can we tell the difference? Nah, not really. All right, next one.

[SIEBERG] Sure, now, this is a CFL, so people have heard of compact fluorescent bulbs for quite a while.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] GE 20 watt Energy Smart Covered Glass CFL $6.75 (75 watt equivalent)

[SIEBERG] These are increasingly used as an alternative to incandescents. This one is a 75 watt equivalent bulb, okay? Goes for about $6.75, but remember, when we're talking about compact fluorescents, this is argon and mercury vapor. Okay, we've all heard about the problem with mercury disposal. When you've got a CFL bulb and eventually it burns out, what do you do with it? Well, too many people often end up throwing it away. The mercury gets into the system, and that's a big problem. So that is one of the big concerns with this. As far as the light goes, it does take a little while to warm up, which is a concern for some people. And it's a little bit too bright for some folks, a little bit harsh.

[ASSURAS] Well, yeah, it is kind of grayish.

[SIEBERG] Right, it just doesn't have that warm tone.

[ASSURAS] So, if I could, let me just ask you, what's the difference, really, between the CFL and the LED we started with?

[SIEBERG] Right, so LEDs, light-emitting diodes. CFLs, compact fluorescents. LEDs are basically like a small electron that's getting this light source to it. It's very cool to the touch. You see them more and more these days in stoplights, all over the place. A compact fluorescent bulb has got argon and mercury vapor that mix together to create this light, in essence, inside this kind of curlicue that you see inside the bulb. The concern with that is what to do when you dispose of them. Of course, we've heard about the problems with mercury disposal, what to do with them. Too many people end up just throwing them in the garbage, and that little bit of mercury can get into the system, so that can be a real problem.

[ASSURAS] Right, and if they break?

[SIEBERG] And if they break, another concern, too. I mean, it's a tiny bit of mercury vapor, but enough to be concerned about.

[ASSURAS] Okay, well, let's move on to the next ones. I'll turn mine off here, and then you're on your own on that side of the board, so what have you got?

[SIEBERG] Okay, I'll be flipping the switches here. Now, this is an incandescent, but it's not your father's incandescent bulb.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Philips EcoVantage 43 watt Soft White $6.96 (60 watt equivalent)

[SIEBERG] Incandescent bulbs are slowly being phased out, because of this energy bill that requires any incandescents made in the future to be at least 30% more energy efficient. So this is the Philips EcoVantage. We liked the light on this. It's not too bad. The idea being, it's a 60 watt equivalent, but it's only using 43 watts, so you can see where it's getting nearly that 30% savings in energy efficiency. Goes for about $7. Not bad. And it's the kind of thing we're going to see more and more of, as companies have to meet those requirements.

[ASSURAS] And it's called what again?

[SIEBERG] This is called the Philips EcoVantage.

[ASSURAS] Okay, let me ask you about this. Incandescents are going to be phased out, which brings me to the question of why do we see new lightbulbs coming out all the time? Is it about energy efficiency, saving energy? What's the big picture?

[SIEBERG] I think it has to do with a number of things. First of all, we all need to have some form of lightbulb in our houses. It's one of those few things that you have to replace on a periodic basis. We need it, and companies know that. It has become very competitive for all of these companies to try to get their version of these bulbs out there. Now, we haven't settled on which one we all love yet. Compact fluorescents came out. People were sort of, enh, 50/50 on whether they liked it or not. Now we're seeing halogens, LEDs, and hybrids. So, over time, we're going to see which ones settle out, and again, it's all about saving money, helping save the environment, and making sure it fits for your lifestyle, because it's still going to matter for that reason.

[ASSURAS] And when you say, "saving the environment," we're talking about using less power, less, you know, your carbon emissions are lower, and so on.

[SIEBERG] Your carbon emissions are lower, but these bulbs are more energy efficient. You think of what's being lost in a typical incandescent bulb -- it's heat. If you ever go to change a bulb after it's been on for a couple of hours, you burn your hand, because it's losing so much heat. These bulbs don't lose heat in that way. They're much more energy efficient. So absolutely better for the environment. And now I move on to the halogens. This is a halogen bulb, which is sort of a unique type of light for some people.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Philips Halogena 40 watt $8.97 (60 watt equivalent)

[SIEBERG] This is the Philips Halogena, and it's a 60 watt equivalent, and this one, we really liked. We felt the light was actually pretty warm. An even distribution of light, which we kind of liked. And about $9 for this, so a little bit pricier, but not too bad.

[ASSURAS] It's buttery.

[SIEBERG] Buttery, exactly.

[ASSURAS] That's your buttery one.

[SIEBERG] It's got a sort of an oak sort of a feel. No, now I'm going crazy with the wine adjectives. All right, finally, we have a hybrid bulb, which -- you know, this is something that a lot of people have not heard of before.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] GE Energy Smart Halogen/CFL Hybrid 15 watt $TBD

[SIEBERG] This is a combination -- you might see this go a little bit darker in a second. This is a combination of a compact fluorescent and a halogen. The halogen will go out once the CFL warms up. It sort of helps it to get to that stage. Now, we liked this one. It's got a fairly warm glow to it. It actually came out as part of Earth Day. This one is from GE. And so that may be another thing that we see down the road, this merging of these technologies, not just one or the other. You have to wonder what Edison would think about all this.

[ASSURAS] You have to wonder. So do you think the incandescents are going to last? I mean, is it possible that they can become more efficient?

[SIEBERG] I think that they can become more efficient, but I think they're going to see an increasing amount of competition, and I think that it really is going to come down to personal and consumer choice, which I think is so important for people, and saving money. Plus, saving the environment, obviously. All these things have to work together.

[ASSURAS] Daniel Sieberg, great to see you with all this light around you. You're glowing, positively glowing. Thanks so much.

Coming up, an interview with Congressman Joe Barton, who's fighting the bulb ban. And a century-old mystery -- what's keeping this light on? We'll show you a really long-lasting bulb that's stood the test of time.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb. In the 1870's he invented the electric incandescent lamp and refined the incandescent bulb that is still used today. SOURCE: INVENTORS.ABOUT.COM

[BREAK]

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Ed Begley, Jr. Volunteer Spokesperson LUNGUSA.ORG 800.586.4872 AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

[ED BEGLEY JR.] The American Lung Association is so important to me, 'cause they've been there, side-by-side with the environmental community for decades in cleaning up the air in cities across America. We couldn't have done it without their expertise. They put a human face to the cost of air pollution, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer. They're the best resource out there. Medical information, scientific information, to help us clean up the air.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION LUNGUSA.ORG 800.586.4872

[END BREAK]

[TEXT ON SCREEN] Late Show with David Letterman

[LETTERMAN] With people going out, and they're buying the new little, they glow, the little things, they're squirrelly, and you put, and it's like, "I can't, I can't, I'm going to need a candle." That doesn't do anything. That makes no difference.

[ASSURAS] "Squirrelly." That was David Letterman back in April, making clear his point of view. What do you think? His point of view on CFLs -- doesn't like them. One of the other criticisms of CFLs -- the mercury in the bulbs, which is a health concern. If you drop a bulb and it breaks, you could breathe in mercury vapor, which can cause serious brain or kidney damage in excessive amounts. But let's put this in perspective in this "energyNOW!" reality meter. The Department of Energy says a CFL bulb contains about 4 milligrams of mercury. That is a tiny fraction of what was inside those old thermometers we used to use for checking for fever. That held 500 milligrams of mercury.

[TEXT ON SCREEN] SOURCE: ENERGYSTAR.GOV.

[ASSURAS] Still, the Environmental Protection Agency says, if a CFL breaks, get everybody out of the room -- pets, too. Air the place out for 10 to 15 minutes, turn off the AC or heat, and put the broken bits in a sealable container for recommended disposal where you live. Now, worry over mercury, dimming problems, brightness, color, and cost -- these are issues that have some of you angry about the federal lightbulb rules. Plus, plenty of you don't like being told what to do when it comes to things you have in your home. Some Republicans in Congress feel the same way, and they have legislation before the House that would repeal the law. It's a bill called the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act. That's right, the Bulb Act. And leading the charge is Joe Barton of Texas. He explained the core of his opposition when we spoke recently in his office.

[REP. JOE BARTON, (R) TEXAS, CHAIRMAN EMERITUS, ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE] Well, the core is a de facto ban against the use of incandescent lightbulbs, which have been around since Thomas Edison. They're cheap, they're efficient, they work, they put out good light, they're not a hazard to health, there are no environmental problems. And I think we ought to let the marketplace decide. I'm not opposed to the CFLs. I think they should earn their way in the marketplace, not be given a monopoly, so to speak. And so the Bulb Act is designed to repeal that part of the law so that we allow people who want to buy the incandescents to continue to do so.

[ASSURAS] You just said, though, that this is a ban. The 2007 legislation essentially says, "Let's get these bulbs to move toward energy efficiency because instead of light, 80% to 90% of it comes off as heat." So they're not really efficient. So it's a question of setting new standards. What's wrong with that?

[BARTON] Well, they just set a standard that they can't meet. It's a de facto ban. It's a ban in reality. And it's unnecessary. I've become something of a smart shopper for incandescent lightbulbs in the last couple years, since we've passed this law. And I was at Giant Food store in Virginia here, and the incandescent bulbs, which were still on the shelves, you could get four for, I want to say $1.90, and the cheapest CFL was about $2.50.

[ASSURAS] $2.50, okay.

[BARTON] Yeah, for one. So, you know, 40 cents versus $2.50. And most of the CFLs were over $5.

[ASSURAS] But the Alliance to Save Energy, for example, would say that you can save about $200 a year on your electricity bill by switching over to more energy efficient lightbulbs.

[BARTON] Well, they may say that, but I'm not sure in the real world -- again, the only way you do, if you burn them continuously. And most people don't burn the lights all the time. I guess there are some insomniacs that keep the lights on all night on, but normally, I come into a room, I turn the light on, and when I go out of the room, I turn the light off.

[ASSURAS] Do you like any of the new ones, of the new kinds? I mean, you said you're a pretty good shopper when it comes to these kinds of lightbulbs.

[BARTON] Um, I have not purchased any, myself. The price, when they get, when it's equal watts for equal price, I may try one, but I haven't so far.

[ASSURAS] Let me ask you about the repeal. What would you see in its stead? Is there anything that you would recommend in terms of energy efficiency?

[BARTON] For lightbulbs? Um, well, if the proponents of the CFLs are right on the issue, they'll eventually win in the marketplace, because their bulbs will outperform the incandescents, and the magic hand of the market, as Adam Smith said, will move their way.

[ASSURAS] So, really, it's largely a philosophical issue about government getting involved and telling -- and a cost issue.

[BARTON] It's two. It's philosophical, but it's also cost. I mean, I'm -- if I'm Al Gore, to pull a name out of a hat, I can spend $5 or $6 for, you know, a piggy-tailed lightbulb, and fine. But if I'm average family, I'm not sure I have the luxury of doing that. And again, if you burn these things all the time and they last forever, you might end up saving some energy, but if you turn them on and off, I'm not sure you really have those savings.

[ASSURAS] Can I ask you if you think the American public can be, I guess, trusted to be more -- to become energy efficient on their own?

[BARTON] I think you can trust the American public. I trust them every election, and they reelect me. I mean, collectively, the public is much smarter than any individual member of Congress. And if you give them the facts, give them choices, they're going to -- the majority are going to make the right decision. I mean, how can you not trust the public?

[ASSURAS] I've got to find you a cheap light bulb that's energy efficient, don't I?

[BARTON] [Chuckles] Well, you know...

[ASSURAS] Price matters, is what you're telling me. I mean, there are the new LED, you know --

[BARTON] When they go on sale at Big Lots, I'll take a look at them.

[ASSURAS] Okay, thank you, sir. Appreciate your time.

[BARTON] You bet.

[ASSURAS] Well, before we go, we just have to tell you about one particular lightbulb, a very old lamp that has become world famous, even making it into the "Guinness Book of World Records." That's what's in this week's "energyNOW" hotZONE, and this is it, hanging in Fire Station Number 6 in Livermore, California. It has lots of admirers, as you can see, and here's why. It has been lit for 110 years, though it has been switched off to be moved a few times. Called "the Centennial Bulb," it's made of hand-blown glass and was first screwed into place in 1901. It's a 60-watter, though it's not so bright anymore. And firefighter Rory Andora, who's been keeping tabs on it for 23 years, says the bulb has managed to survive some firehouse danger.

[ANDORA] It's been hit with a volleyball, you know, we throw footballs around here, it's been -- errant throw -- got hit by a football, it's been hit by basketballs, Frisbees, so it's, you know, everybody holds their breath till it stops swinging and keeps staying lit. So it's been abused. I mean, it's a tough old bulb.

[ASSURAS] Tough old bulb whose power is a mystery? Or a really good prank? Hmm. That's it for this week's "energyNOW!" You can find out more about the law phasing out many incandescent bulbs on our Web site, energyNOW.com. And if you have story suggestions or comments, please let us know. You can find us on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter at energyNOWnews. I'm Thalia Assuras. See you next week.

[END SHOW]