Vermont bill may target one type of fluorescent lamp for ban

A bill under review by a Vermont House committee would mean lights out for a fluorescent bulb technology hailed when it came out as showing colors well, but since matched or surpassed in that category and easily topped by other products for energy efficiency. Industry lobbyists appeared before the House Energy and Technology Committee on Wednesday, with at least one trying to explain to lawmakers why future sales of the “high-CRI T12 fluorescent bulb” should not be outlawed in the state. But they drew a stiff rebuttal on each point from a committee member who had worked for decades as an electrical contractor. The bulbs, or “lamps” in industry parlance, get the name “high-CRI T12, from two features: They have a high “color-rendering index,” meaning they show colors well, making them popular for use at meat counters, car dealerships and makeup studios.