Eight New L Prize Partners to Bring 70% of U.S. Electric Customers to Future Winners

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it has added eight new partners agreeing to work cooperatively to promote the winners of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize competition. The following energy efficiency organizations and utilities each signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DOE: Ameren Illinois Utilities, Long Island Power Authority, National Grid, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Platte River Power Authority, Progress Energy, and Puget Sound Energy. The L Prize is the first government-sponsored technology competition designed to spur lighting manufacturers to develop high quality, high-efficiency solid-state lighting (LED) products to replace the common light bulb. The L Prize competition aims to radically accelerate America's shift from inefficient, dated lighting products to innovative, high-performance products. Twenty-three partners with presence in twenty-nine states from coast to coast are now on board to bring utility programs and other incentives for winning L Prize products.

"With the addition of these regions, partners will bring a big plus to the L Prize competition—the ability to reach more than 70% of U.S. electric customers," stated Jim Brodrick, SSL Program Manager for DOE. "When the first L Prize winner is named, this most tested, high-performance solid-state replacement lamp will be welcomed in a wide range of American markets, from the largest cities to Carolina beach towns and the Rockies." DOE's goal is to drive quality and energy efficiency up while bringing the cost of this technology down, leading to broader acceptance in the market.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the competition to drastically reduce energy consumption in May 2008 as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which directs DOE to establish the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition. The legislation challenges industry to develop replacement technologies for today's most widely used and inefficient products: 60W incandescent lamps and PAR 38 halogen lamps, as well as development of a new "21st Century Lamp."