What's happening
This bill sets energy efficiency standards for general purpose lighting in New York public buildings, requiring increasing lumens per watt over time.
Why it matters
Phased Implementation. The bill introduces a phased schedule requiring increasingly efficient lighting (measured in lumens per watt) based on lamp brightness, with new minimum standards rolling out from 2022 to 2028. This means public buildings must continually upgrade lighting to keep up with the new benchmarks.
Clear Definitions and Exemptions. The legislation specifically defines what counts as a "general service lamp" and lists numerous types of specialty lamps that are exempt. This ensures that only standard, commonly used lighting is targeted, reducing confusion and limiting compliance costs for specialized facilities.
Impact on Public Sector Operations. All state and local government buildings—including schools, offices, and other facilities—must comply. This could prompt significant retrofitting projects, potentially increasing short-term costs for public agencies but aiming for longer-term savings and environmental benefits.
Cost-Effectiveness Mandate. The law maintains that standards must remain cost-effective, meaning any required lighting upgrades should not cost more than the expected savings in energy and maintenance over seven years. This provision protects public budgets from unsustainable mandates.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Efficient Public Lighting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
296
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the energy law, in relation to the use of general purpose lights in public buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 8-103 of the energy law, as amended by chapter 744 of the laws of 1979, is amended to read as follows:
§ 8-103. Application. 1. On or before April first, nineteen hundred eighty, the commissioner shall promulgate, and thereafter may amend from time to time, standards relating to the lighting of all existing buildings, or classes of such buildings, for purposes of minimizing the consumption of energy and providing for the efficient utilization of the energy expended for lighting in the use and occupancy of such buildings. Such standards shall be cost effective and shall not impair the health and safety of the occupants of the property. The standards shall be deemed cost effective if the cost of implementing them would be equal to or less than the present value of energy and maintenance savings that would be expected over a seven-year period in a building to which the standards are applicable. Provided however, on and after the effective date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand nineteen which amended this section, all general purpose lights used in public buildings in this state shall meet the energy efficiency standards established in subdivision two of this section.
2. The minimum energy efficiency standards for a general service lamp used in a public building in the state shall be as follows:
(a) By January first, two thousand twenty-two, for a lamp with a lumen output of between twenty-six hundred ninety and fourteen hundred ninety, the lamp shall achieve fifty lumens per watt.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04000-01-9
S. 296 2
(b) By January first, two thousand twenty-three, for a lamp with a lumen output of between fourteen hundred eighty-nine and one thousand ten, the lamp shall achieve fifty lumens per watt.
(c) By January first, two thousand twenty-four, for a lamp with a lumen output of between one thousand nine and seven hundred thirty, the lamp shall achieve fifty lumens per watt.
(d) By January first, two thousand twenty-eight, for a lamp with a lumen output of between seven hundred twenty-nine and three hundred forty, the lamp shall achieve forty lumens per watt.
3. For the purposes of this section:
(a) "General service lamp" means a standard type lamp that is intended for general service applications and has all of the following:
(i) a medium screw base;
(ii) a wattage rating of no less than twenty-five watts and no greater than one hundred fifty watts;
(iii) a A-15, A-19, A-21, A-23, A-25, PS-25, PS-30, BT-14.5, BT-15, CP-19, TB-19, CA-22, or equivalent shape as defined in the American National Standards Institute C78.20-2003; and
(iv) a bulb finish of frosted, clear, or soft white type.
A general service lamp does not include an appliance lamp, black light lamp, bug lamp, colored lamp, enhanced spectrum lamp, infrared lamp, left-hand tread lamp, marine lamp, marine signal service lamp, mine service lamp, plant light, reflector lamp, rough service lamp, shatter resistant lamp, sign service lamp, silver bowl lamp, showcase lamp, three-way lamp, traffic signal lamp or vibration service or vibration resistant lamp.
(b) "Public building" shall mean all buildings including grounds and premises adjacent or appurtenant thereto or connected thereto belonging to the state, county, town, village, school district or any other political or civil subdivision of state or local government.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the energy law, in relation to the use of general purpose lights in public buildings
Purpose of the bill
The purpose of the bill is to increase energy efficiency in the lighting used in public buildings in the state.
Summary of provisions
This bill would establish minimum energy efficiency standards for gener- al purpose lights with wattage rating from 25 to 150 watts used in all public buildings. Following is the schedule of the standards:
(1) By January 1, 2020, for a lamp with a lumen output of between 2690 and 1490 (approx: lumen output from a 100 to 150 watt standard incandes- cent bulb), the lamp shall achieve 50 lumens per watt.
(2) By January 1, 2021, for a lamp with a lumen output of between 1489 and 1010 (lumen output from a 75 watt standard incandescent), the lamp shall achieve 50 lumens per watt.
(3) By January 1, 2022, for a lamp with a lumen output of between 1009 and 730 (lumen output from a 60 watt standard incandescent), the lamp shall achieve 50 lumens per watt.
(4) By January 1, 2026, for a lamp with a lumen output of between 729 and 340 (lumen output from a 40 watt standard incandescent), the lamp shall achieve 40 lumens per watt.
Justification
According to the United States Department of Energy, energy consumption for all lighting in the U.S. is estimated to be about 220 of the total electricity generated. Energy efficient lighting alternatives can use significantly less energy and therefore lower air emissions. An example provided on the U.S.D.O.E. website indicates that using a 60 watt incan- descent light bulb for 1,200 hours consumes approximately 72 kilowatt hours (kwh) of energy while the lumen output equivalent compact fluores- cent light bulb would use only 20 kwh. Requiring lighting that meets energy efficiency standards to be used in public buildings will reduce energy usage, lower carbon emissions, and lower energy costs to state and local governments and school districts.
Prior legislative history
2018: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2017: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2016: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2015: Died in Energy and Telecommunications 2014: Senate Bill 569A (Gianaris) - Died in Infrastructure & Capital Investment Committee 2013: Senate Bill 569 (Gianaris) - Died in Infrastructure & Capital Investment Committee 2012: Senate Bill 1983-A (Gianaris) - Died in Senate Energy & Telecommu- nications Committee
Fiscal implications
Significant savings for state and local governments and school districts could be realized by using more energy efficient lighting in public buildings.
Effective date
This act would take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.