Ballasts are the devices that power fluorescent lighting tubes in commercial buildings.
The Alliance, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Oregon state energy office, came to an agreement with leading manufacturers Philips, Magnetek, Advance, Osram Sylvania, and Lithonia. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 had mandated that DOE set the ballast standard by the end of 1992, but DOE missed that and several other deadlines. Although DOE still has to officially issue the ballast standard, the standard is expected to save between 2 and 2.5 quadrillion BTU of energy over the next 30 years. That's enough energy to run 12 to 15 million American homes for a year. It will also save U.S. energy users billions of dollars, and will prevent the emission of 36 to 45 million tons of carbon.