December 20, 2014 – The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) both praised New York Governor Cuomo for signing into law the “Healthy, Safe and Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting Act” (a.k.a. the Dark Skies bill), which establishes requirements for outdoor lighting installed by state agencies.

The bill requires the use of properly shielded luminaires to prevent unnecessary up-/side-lighting, thereby reducing light trespass and sky glow. The bill also states that installations shall comply with minimum IES recommendations.

This legislation has been pending for several years, says IES, adding that industry and advocacy groups formed a coalition that included IES, NEMA, International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and International Dark Skies Association to “resolve differences and garner industry-wide support”.