LED lights seek to uncrown 100-watt bulb

General Electric introduced a 100-watt equivalent LED bulb which is the clearest example yet of how high-tech lighting has become. The company's Energy Smart LED bulb consumes 27 watts to give off the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent lamp. It will be released in the first half of next year. The price has not yet been set. GE's announcement, made at the Light Fair industry conference in Las Vegas, shows how lighting manufacturers have finally cracked one of the toughest challenges in LED lighting -- making lamps able to give off a lot of light in all directions. Philips today also introduced its 100-watt equivalent, as did Sylvania; both products are extensions of existing product lines and are due this summer.