So here’s more information to help shed light on light bulb confusion, save money and the environment…

Lighting is a critical component of every business. For more information on T8's and all types of lighting for the work place, click here for more Energy Star online information.

FAQ’s on Compact Fluorescent lights (CFLs) from Energy Star, including comparison to traditional bulbs, how to clean up and dispose of CFL’s and mercury emissions comparisons, June 2008.

You will find tons of information on Wikipedia including history, manufacturing, colors and lots of links for CFLs.

"One Energy Star qualified bulb can save about $30 or more in energy costs over its lifetime. The average home has approximately 30 light fixtures. If every U.S. household replaced just one light bulb or fixture with an Energy Star, our country would save more than $600 million each year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars." Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, January 18, 2008

Join the Energy Star Change a Light campaign, which has received more than 1 million pledges from Americans across the country to change nearly 4 million light bulbs to Energy Star CFLs, equating to potential savings of more than $100 million in energy costs and the prevention of more than 1.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. To join Americans already taking the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World pledge, visit http://www.energystar.gov/changealight.

By Michael Murray, Director, HelioEMS, an Energy Management Solutions Company

"…a president who hasn’t lifted a finger to broker passage of legislation that has been stuck in Congress for a year, which could actually impact America’s energy profile right now — unlike offshore oil that would take years to flow — and create good tech jobs to boot.

That bill is H.R. 6049 — “The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008,” which extends for another eight years the investment tax credit for installing solar energy and extends for one year the production tax credit for producing wind power and for three years the credits for geothermal, wave energy and other renewables.

These critical tax credits for renewables are set to expire at the end of this fiscal year and, if they do, it will mean thousands of jobs lost and billions of dollars of investments not made. “Already clean energy projects in the U.S. are being put on hold,” said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

People forget, wind and solar power are here, they work, they can go on your roof tomorrow. What they need now is a big U.S. market where lots of manufacturers have an incentive to install solar panels and wind turbines — because the more they do, the more these technologies would move down the learning curve, become cheaper and be able to compete directly with coal, oil and nuclear, without subsidies.

"…a president who hasn’t lifted a finger to broker passage of legislation that has been stuck in Congress for a year, which could actually impact America’s energy profile right now — unlike offshore oil that would take years to flow — and create good tech jobs to boot.

That bill is H.R. 6049 — “The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008,” which extends for another eight years the investment tax credit for installing solar energy and extends for one year the production tax credit for producing wind power and for three years the credits for geothermal, wave energy and other renewables.

These critical tax credits for renewables are set to expire at the end of this fiscal year and, if they do, it will mean thousands of jobs lost and billions of dollars of investments not made. “Already clean energy projects in the U.S. are being put on hold,” said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

People forget, wind and solar power are here, they work, they can go on your roof tomorrow. What they need now is a big U.S. market where lots of manufacturers have an incentive to install solar panels and wind turbines — because the more they do, the more these technologies would move down the learning curve, become cheaper and be able to compete directly with coal, oil and nuclear, without subsidies.

Arizona Republican John McCain and Illinois Democrat Barack Obama say a lot of the same things about energy and environmental policy: Both want to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and fight global warming. Both want binding caps on greenhouse-gas emissions. Both see a stepped-up role for nuclear power.

So does that mean that America will get the same energy strategy no matter which candidate wins? Not by a long shot.

Sen. McCain's and Sen. Obama's goals may sound similar, but the candidates would pursue drastically different paths to achieve them.

See the complete article, click here: Different Paths to Cleaner Energy.

Here's a shocker: Electricity bills are heading up. Way up.

Utilities across the USA are raising power prices up to 29%, mostly to pay for soaring fuel costs, but also to build new plants and refurbish an aging power grid.

Even more dramatic rate increases are ahead. The mounting electric bills will further squeeze households struggling with spiraling gasoline prices.

"Consumers now face a tough reality on electricity," says Mark Cooper of Consumer Federation of America.

The increases come after rising fuel prices already have driven up utility bills nearly 30% in the past five years, the sharpest jump since the 1970s energy crisis.