Bulb law shouldn't be switched off

No one ever said the United States Congress contains the nation's brightest bulbs, so it shouldn't be surprising that the House approved a Republican measure to delay new energy-saving lightbulb standards.

Fortunately, House Republicans failed to reverse the standards altogether, and the Senate may reject the silly yearlong delay as well.

Contrary to popular opinion, the new standards won't ban incandescent bulbs. But they will require the bulbs to be more efficient. That will make them costlier to buy but cheaper to use; indeed, power savings are expected to offset any additional expense. Manufacturers have already invested in new bulb technologies -- which is why the bulb-makers themselves are opposed to rolling back the standards.

Washington's battle of the bulb says a lot about how politics have changed since the last election. The new standards became law in 2007 as part of an amendment offered by a Republican, supported by 35 other Republicans, and signed by President George W. Bush. But this time, 228 Republicans voted for repeal -- including 17 who had voted for the law in the first place. Only 10 Republicans opposed repeal.

GOP backers of smart bulbs had the right idea the first time. The new standards have spurred innovation and will widen consumer choice. Given the risks and costs of oil spills, nuclear meltdowns, burning coal and finding alternative fuels, saving energy by making bulbs more efficient is a sensible step forward.