A July 21 op-ed in The Washington Examiner claimed that lighting efficiency standards passed in 2007 will “ban ... ordinary incandescent light bulbs.” The op-ed also claims that it's “way beyond hogwash” to state that “Philips and other manufacturers are already making more efficient incandescent bulbs.”

In fact, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed into law by President George W. Bush, does not ban incandescent light bulbs -- only inefficient ones. And Philips Lighting, which explains on its website that the law does not outlaw all incandescent bulbs, is indeed advertising several efficient incandescent models on its site.

From the op-ed:

By now, most of us know that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a measure last week to block the ban on ordinary incandescent light bulbs that's scheduled to begin next year.

Odd that a common, inexpensive household item could start a white hot political war, but tea did that once, and last week's vote has become a symbol of American freedom of choice -- and a big election-year issue.

[...]

A Time magazine blog immediately began calling Republicans stupid for fighting energy efficiency, and trotted out a number of claims that suggest the author may never have read all 310 pages of that 2007 law.

Time magazine claims about that law: “It does not -- as conservatives have argued again and again -- ban incandescent bulbs.” Then I wonder what Section 331 of that law meant by providing a “backstop” to any fumbled rulemaking by ordering that “the Secretary [of Energy] shall prohibit the sale of any general service lamp that does not meet a minimum efficacy standard of 45 lumens per watt.” Ordinary 100-watt incandescent lamps don't meet that standard. Then, too, “prohibit the sale” sounds like a ban to me.

Time claims: “Philips and other manufacturers are already making more efficient incandescent bulbs.” That's short of an outright lie but it's way beyond hogwash. What Philips is making is halogen lamps, which are incandescent alright, but complex electronic circuit devices about as close to an ordinary incandescent lamp as a third-degree burn, which you can efficiently obtain from a halogen lamp.

Previously:

Broken Record: Wash. Times Rails Against Fictional Light “Bulb Ban”

Conservative Media Misled Light Bulb Consumers At Least 40 Times In 7 Months

Kilmeade Decides: “We're Not Going To Be Able To Buy Bulbs In A Little While”

Varney Teases His Fox Business Show: “We Have A Jihad Against The New Light Bulbs”

Doocy Softball: Fake Light Bulb Ban Is “Costing Americans Jobs By Not Using American Light Bulbs, Right?”

Fox's Asman Falsely Claims That “Seven Months From Now, We Won't Be Able To Buy An Incandescent Bulb”