As part of its phased approach, this law essentially requires at least a 28% improvement on the efficiency of lighting, and the phased approach starts with the 100 watt incandescent bulb. Interestingly, and not coincidentally, a 72 watt halogen light happens to produce as much light (lumens) as a 100 watt incandescent.
Over the next few years, similar improvements will be required for 75 watt, 60 watt, and 40 watt incandescents in California, with the rest of the nation implementing each phase one year later. Incandescent lighting, by the way, is probably the least efficient electrical device in existence - 90% of the energy used is lost to heat.
This nice thing about this law is that it is not "picking winners" in the efficiency move, though the way the numbers work out it does seem to have been specifically picked to allow halogen to meet the requirements. However, the law does not require people to use CFLs, LEDs, or Halogens. It simply requires a 28% improvement in efficiency as compared to incandescent.
For what its worth, halogen is one lighting technology that largely flies under the radar. As mentioned, it can be 28% more efficient than incandescent, it is cheaper than CFL (not including energy saved), and produces good light and achieves full brightness rapidly. And no mercury is used.
If you've been avoiding CFLs for one reason or another, and are awaiting for LEDs to get better, you may want to look into halogens. Even in my home state of Arizona, I've been starting to see screw-in halogens for sale on occasion, months in advance of the law taking effect here.
For more information on the California implementation of this law, check out this FAQ.
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