(Jan. 31, 2007) -- A San Fernando Valley lawmaker says on his official Assembly website that he plans to introduce legislation to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by the year 2012.

Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D., Van Nuys) -- who chairs Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce Committee -- says he plans to introduce the "How Many Legislators Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb" Act, calling it "yet another instance of California being a trend-setter for the rest of the nation."

On his website, Assemblyman Levine states, "Incandescent light bulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications. Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about five percent of the energy they receive into light. It’s time to take a step forward -- energy-efficient bulbs are easy to use, require less electricity to do the same job, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and save consumers money."

Assemblyman Levine's website continues:

According to the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit organization that focuses on energy policy, replacing a 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent would result in the same amount of light but would save 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and save customers $55 over the life of the bulb (while the life of one 75-watt incandescent bulb is roughly 750 hours, the life of a compact fluorescent is a whopping 10,000 hours). Meanwhile, incandescent bulbs use 750 kWh over 10,000 hours, while compact fluorescents use only 180 kWh.

In addition, a utility can give away a compact fluorescent lamps more cheaply than it can fuel its existing power plants, which is why Southern California Edison, for example, has given away more than a million such lamps.

"Electricity-saving technologies may not be glamorous, especially when compared with the idea of a shiny new power plant, but the facts are that there are hundreds of electricity-saving innovations now on the market that if fully used throughout the United States, would significantly decrease the electricity the country now uses," Levine said. "The time has come for this legislation, and what better state to lead the charge than California."

Developing.