NEMA shapes outdoor lighting standards on Capitol Hill

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va., had a major role in the new federal efficiency standards for pole-mounted outdoor lighting. Along with setting minimum task lumens per watts (LPW) requirements and a tiered enactment structure through 2016, the new law would ban the manufacture of general-purpose mercury-vapor lamps after January 1, 2016. These are the least efficient type of high intensity discharge (HID) lamp and can be replaced with other types of HID lamps or other lamp types. NEMA President and CEO Evan Gaddis said this is the first time federal efficiency standards will apply to outdoor lighting applications.