New Regs Crackdown on Incandescent Bulbs and CTC Exposure: Kiplinger Forecasts
The EPA and Dept. of Energy are planning to enforce rules on hazardous CTC and inefficient incandescent light bulbs.

To help you understand what is going on in the energy sector and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
Retail sales of most incandescent lightbulbs are now effectively off limits, with the Department of Energy fully enforcing rules that prohibit the import, manufacture and retail sales of most incandescent bulbs. Such enforcement includes slapping steep financial penalties — $542 per violation — on companies, which would translate into millions of dollars for large orders of incandescent bulbs.
Most, if not all, incandescent bulbs can’t meet new efficiency requirements of 45 lumens per watt, prohibiting them despite the absence of a blanket ban. Note that retailers will no longer be exempt from these regulations, a shift from the previous policy that focused primarily on manufacturers and importers.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will limit worker exposure to CTC: carbon tetrachloride. A recent proposal, if finalized, would allow the agency to set the chemical exposure limit for CTC at 0.03 parts per million over a period of eight hours for use in manufacturing, recycling and laboratory settings.
CTC is primarily used to manufacture other chemicals. Among them are hydrofluoroolefin refrigerants, aerosol propellants, and chlorinated agricultural products. The chemical has been federally banned in consumer products since the 1970s.
CTC is one of 10 high-priority chemicals the EPA is currently evaluating under amendments made to the Toxic Substances Control Act in 2016. Besides CTC, the agency has proposals for asbestos, methylene chloride and perchloroethylene. Experts think trichloroethylene will be the next chemical on the list addressed.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
The Five Social Security Blind Spots Retirees Often Miss
Understand how benefits work before applying, so you don’t lose money for which you qualify.
-
Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Nasdaq Hit New Highs After Vietnam Trade Deal
Ahead of a key July 9 tariff deadline, President Trump said the U.S. has reached a trade deal with Vietnam.
-
AI’s Rapid Rise Sparks New Cyber Threats
The Kiplinger Letter Cybersecurity professionals are racing to ward off AI threats while also using AI tools to shore up defenses.
-
Blue Collar Workers Add AI to Their Toolboxes
The Kiplinger Letter AI can’t fix a leak or install lighting, but more and more tradespeople are adopting artificial intelligence for back-office work and other tasks.
-
Will State Laws Hurt AI’s Future?
The Kiplinger Letter Republicans in Congress are considering a moratorium on state AI laws. But it’s likely a growing patchwork of state AI regulations will be here for a while.
-
The New AI Agents Will Tackle Your To-Do List
The Kiplinger Letter Autonomous AI agents “see” your computer screen, then complete a task, from buying a concert ticket to organizing email. This opens up a world of possibilities.
-
AI’s Medical Revolution
The Kiplinger Letter Medicine is a field ripe for finding both exciting and practical uses for AI. The tech is already being used by doctors and researchers.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
AI Heads to Washington
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze MRIs and other medical images. But also big challenges that clinicians and companies will have to overcome.
-
The AI Doctor Coming to Read Your Test Results
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze CAT scans, MRIs and other medical images. But there are also big challenges that human clinicians and tech companies will have to overcome.