On May 20, 2021, the Department of Energy (DOE) moved towards reversing a rollback of energy efficiency standards for light bulbs.
In January 2017 DOE finalized regulations expanding the types of light bulbs subject to energy efficiency standards under the Environmental Policy and Conservation Act by redefining "general service lamp" and strengthened standards to phase out less-efficient incandescent light bulbs. These regulations were scheduled to come into effect in January 2020. In late 2019, DOE repealed those rules and blocked the phaseout of incandescent light bulbs. In the May 2021 action, DOE proposed rescinding the 2019 rules and moving ahead with the more stringent regulations.