"Lights Go Down on the 100-Watt Bulb"

"The standard 100-watt light bulb is going away, and its lower-wattage cousins are soon to follow."

"U.S. bulbmakers can no longer manufacture the 100-watt bulb as of Saturday -- part of a multiyear push to boost the efficiency of the nation's lighting under a 2007 law signed by President George W. Bush.

For consumers, the law is making the purchase of light bulbs more like an investment choice, with a need to balance higher up-front costs against longer-term electricity savings.

Some of the newest high-efficiency bulbs cost more than $20 each and are designed to last more than 20 years."

David Shaffer reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune January 1, 2012.