(CNN/AP) — President Donald Trump said energy-efficient light bulbs make him look orange on Thursday when he made remarks at the House Republican Conference Member Retreat Dinner in Maryland.
“The light bulb. People said what’s with the light bulb. I said here’s the story, and I looked at it. The bulb that we’re being forced to use. No. 1, to me, most importantly, the light’s no good. I always look orange. And so do you. The light is the worst,” Trump said.
Trump made the remarks while he was introducing one of several environmentally related rants in his more than hour-long remarks. He described energy-efficient light bulbs as “many times more expensive than that old, incandescent bulb that worked very well” and “the lights no good,” according to CNN.
The Trump administration last month turned its deregulatory focus to light bulbs, scrapping a rule that would have phased out less energy-efficient incandescent bulbs.
The move slows a years-long push by Congress and past administrations to switch Americans to LED bulbs and other lighting using less electricity.
Trump told reporters this month the Energy Department canceled the pending phase-out of the targeted incandescent bulbs because “what’s saved is not worth it.”
“And price was another thing,” he said.
The rule change “will ensure that the choice of how to light homes and businesses is left to the American people, not the federal government,” the Energy Department said in a statement.
The administration said the more efficient bulbs would cost consumers more to buy than they would save on their electric bills. Environmental groups challenged the claim.
“That’s going to cost taxpayers more money, make U.S. businesses less competitive, threaten jobs and innovation and set back our efforts to combat climate change,” the nonprofit Environmental Entrepreneurs advocacy group said.
The Trump administration has relaxed or proposed relaxing scores of environmental protections, saying it was targeting rules that burden businesses but do little to protect public health and habitat.
