The House passed a bill repealing federal light bulb standards that would have placed a de facto ban on incandescent bulbs. Politico: An amendment from Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) defunding the Energy Department's standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient starting next year was approved rather anticlimactically by voice vote. The success of the amendment appeared inevitable in the House, where the fate of the incandescent light bulb became a symbol in the fight against federal regulations. Democrats and the White House have opposed the move to block the standards, which were included in a 2007 energy bill signed by President George W. Bush. DOE has said the standards could save consumers $6 billion a year. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) got majority support - 233 votes - for a stand-alone bill repealing the efficiency standards Tuesday, though that fell well short of the two-thirds it needed to pass under expedited floor rules. Only five...(Read Full Post)