A California assemblyman is aiming to turn the lights out on incandescent bulbs with his proposed how many legislators does it take to change a lightbulb act.

Lloyd Levine, a Democrat from Los Angeles, says he plans to propose a ban on conventional incandescent bulbs in favour of energy-efficient fluorescents. Compact fluorescent bulbs use about 75 per cent less electricity than an incandescent bulb.

"Incandescent light bulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications," said Levine in a news release Tuesday. "It's time to take a step forward."

The bill, which would phase out all incandescent bulbs by 2012, has not yet been scheduled on the legislative calendar.