Mandating the use of CFLs is ridiculous, but so is panic hype about their danger (mercury) and recycling. Also, by the time CFLs will be required, the white LEDs may become cheap enough to use instead.
The current white LEDs all seem to have a slight blue tinge to me.
That may be true. LED tech is coming along nicely, but the holy grail still hasn’t emerged.
The CFL idea would be great if they truly lasted as long as they were supposed to. I go through one about once a year, and I think it’s due to turning them on and off so much. After all, in a traditional office application, (where fluorescents made their mark) they only get flipped twice a day.
But technology is always advancing, and they’ll improve over time too. We’re about to bring a fixture to market that includes a fire rating, UL listing, easy retrofit to existing ceiling cans, and CFL technology that reduces energy consumption by about 75% over halogen- plus a reasonable cost. We’re watching LEDs closely too.