The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2531 (HB 2531) in June 2023 with the goal of reducing environmental impacts from mercury used in fluorescent lighting. The legislation bans the sale or distribution of screw-in and bayonet compact fluorescent bulbs starting January 1, 2024, followed by pin-type compact fluorescent bulbs and linear fluorescent lighting starting January 1, 2025. It pushes the lighting market toward greater energy efficiency by establishing LED lighting as the standard. 

This shift in lighting standards has implications for Energy Trust of Oregon’s lighting offers for commercial and industrial customers. Energy Trust provides incentives to help business customers upgrade from older, inefficient lighting to high-efficiency solutions. This often means replacing fluorescent lighting with more efficient LED equipment. With LEDs becoming the standard, fewer products will go above and beyond the market baseline for savings, meaning there will be fewer opportunities for Energy Trust to offer standard equipment incentives. Instead, Energy Trust will gradually shift our incentive focus to exterior lighting, process lighting (cannabis), controls and other innovative, whole-building solutions.  

With approval from the Oregon Public Utility Commission, Energy Trust has developed an approach to support customers and trade allies during the market transition. Most standard lighting incentives will remain in place through the end of 2024.  

• Incentives for replacing screw-in compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) will be available through the first half of 2024, ending on July 1, 2024.  
• Incentives for replacing linear fluorescent lighting and pin-style CFLs will be available through the middle of the following year, with a sunset date of July 1, 2025.  
• Contingent upon an OPUC exception, Energy Trust will extend the current small business direct install offer through December 31, 2025, providing no cost lighting solutions for small businesses, which includes many rural business customers and those owned by women and people of color.

Energy Trust will detail 2024 incentives and plans during the annual trade ally seminars to be held in January and February 2024. Trade allies are strongly encouraged to attend one of the sessions which will be held: 

• Tuesday, January 30, 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn, Medford (Register here)  
• Wednesday, January 31, 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Riverhouse in Bend (Register here)  
• Thursday, February 1, 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Sheraton Portland Airport (Register here)  

If you have questions or need additional information, please reach out to Cameron Walsh, associate program manager, at cameron.walsh@clearesult.com or 503.548.4963. Watch Insider for updates on lighting incentives and other program changes.