DOE's L Prize Competition adds nine utility and efficiency program partners

The programs of the United States of Energy (DOE) has announced it has added nine new partners that will work cooperatively to promote the winners of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L-Prize) Competition.
The following energy efficiency organizations and utilities each signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DOE: DTE Energy, Sierra Pacific Power (now doing businesses as NV Energy), Eugene Water and Electric Board, Seattle City Light, Energy Trust of Oregon, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance , NSTAR Electric, Commonwealth Edison Company, and Cape Light Compact.
The L Prize is the first government-sponsored technology competition designed to spur lighting manufacturers to develop high quality, high-efficiency solid-state lighting (LED) products to replace the common light bulb. The L Prize competition aims to radically accelerate America's shift from Inefficient, dated lighting products to innovative, high-performance products.
Sixteen partners from coast to coast are now on board to bring utility programs and other incentives for winning L Prize products.
In just three months, the number of L Prize partners has more than doubled, bringing ready-made markets from California to Cape Cod for the rapid adoption of high-performance solid-state lighting products, stated Jim Brodrick, SSL Program Manager for DOE.
This increases the number of potential fast track customers to more than 100 million, and sends a strong signal to US manufacturers of high quality solid-state lighting products that the L Prize winners will be welcomed in large American markets, Brodrick added.
DOE's goal is to drive quality and energy efficiency up while bringing the cost of this technology down, leading to higher acceptance in the market.
In May 2008, the DOE announced the competition to drastically reduce energy consumption as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The legislation challenges industry to develop replacement technologies for today's most widely used and inefficient products: 60W incandescent lamps and PAR 38 Halogen lamps, as well as development of a new 21st Century Lamp.