Washington, D.C. Today, the House of Representatives is expected to pass landmark energy legislation that includes a provision authored by Reps Jane Harman (D-Venice), Fred Upton (R-MI), Albert Wynn (D-MD) and Dennis Hastert (R-IL) to ban by 2020 the sale of any light bulb that is not three times more efficient than today’s incandescent bulbs. Below is Harman’s statement:

In March, Al Gore testified that we are on track to be witting participants in the biggest experiment in the history of mankind: raising CO2 to levels no human has ever experienced. The consequences will be devastating. It is a moral imperative that we act now.

The bill before us today is a considerable “down-payment” on our energy future. One of the easiest and most cost-effective provisions to implement is the section on efficiency standards for lightbulbs, which I coauthored with Reps. Upton, Wynn, and Hastert.

This bipartisan provision – a careful compromise supported by the industry and the environmental community – bans Thomas Edison’s favorite oldie, the 100 Watt incandescent, by 2012, and will phase out inefficient lightbulbs by 2014. By 2020, it requires that all lightbulbs be 300 percent more efficient than today’s incandescents. This will pave the way for super-efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs), an American technology that will light our future.

And though I believe that Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are an important technology, the intent of these standards is that at no time will CFLs be the only lighting choice available to American consumers. The bill also requires the Department of Energy to find ways to minimize the amount of mercury in CFLs and provide incentives for all high-efficiency lighting to be manufactured in the United States.

Second, this energy bill will speed the roll-out of information technology on our electric grid.  Soon, we will be able to sell power generated through roof-mounted solar cells – the kind I have on my home in Venice – back into the grid.

A Smart Grid also lays the groundwork for plug-in hybrids like the kind Toyota is developing at their North American headquarters in my district. Plug-ins can achieve 150 miles-per-gallon, resulting in 80 percent oil savings and 60 percent emission reductions in each vehicle. In Committee, I added an amendment with Reps. Inslee and Engel to help local and state governments apply plug-in hybrid technology to their fleets.  

Finally, I applaud language in this bill to develop methods to capture and store carbon underground. Climate change doesn’t mean all fossil fuels must go the way of the dodo. To meet the anticipated 40 percent increase in America’s electricity demand by 2030, we’ll need the equivalent of 300 new power plants.

This energy can come from coal – but only if we can sequester the carbon that’s released when coal is burned.

Cities in my district have already taken action through the “Cool Cities” program to reduce their carbon footprint and raise awareness about smart energy solutions. It’s time for the rest of the country to follow suit. I thank Chairmen Dingell and Boucher and Ranking Members Hastert and Upton for their support and urge passage of this bill.