The State of Michigan and utility companies want you to throw out your old light bulbs and get compact fluorescent light bulbs instead. People from both entities met in East Lansing yesterday. They say the kind of light bulbs you screw in will help determine whether Michigan will have to build more coal fired power plants. More from Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus.
Urban Options started 30 years ago in a residential home next to the police station in East Lansing. It’s now called Michigan Energy Options. Everything in the house demonstrates how to use energy efficiently.
“How much less energy he uses to expend…he is yet to get the incandescent light on.
Tim Hoffman is pedaling a bike hooked up to light bulbs on a display board.
Hoffman came in a coat and tie for a news conference. He works for Consumers Energy.
Michigan Public Service Commissioner Monica Martinez siezed the bike as a teaching tool.
The public service commission gave Michigan Energy Options $1 million dollars to distribute compact fluorescent light bulbs. They’re the curly q shaped ones. It’s 4 times easier to light a room with them than with the old round light bulbs we’ve used for decades. The CFL’s will be on sale next month in most major hardware and grocery store chains for 99cents a piece. Again, Monica Martinez.
“the result will be a significant improvement in energy efficiency across the state, this will help customers save money, cut the need for electric generation in the future and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The MPSC is calling this Change a Light, Change Michigan. The utility companies are also involved. Teri Van Sumeren is with Consumers Energy.
“we plan on investing approximately $2.3 million in our CFL program this year. That program will account for approximately 30% of the energy savings in our portfolio.”
Both Consumers and DTE have already raised this money from their customers. So whether you’re a customer or a state tax payer you may as well take advantage of the deal. You’ve already paid for it. Each CFL will save you $40 in electric bills. With less energy use, The utilities have less reason to charge you more money for a new coal fired power plant. And that means no additional pollution in the air.
Vic Loomis is a developer and current Mayor of East Lansing. He recently finished a building for a bank. The bank rents the building.
“And we incorporated a lot of the motion detectors in the offices that will shut lights down if there’s not any activity in the office. And it really provided a tremendous savings to the daily operating costs of the building.
After this sales campaign is done the price of energy efficient light bulbs will go back up to $4 or $5. That’s when the average guy will have to remember that these lights are still cheaper in the long run. And they solve a lot of other problems.