"Many people do not know about the light bulb phase-out that began with 2007 Clean Energy Act. As part of the legislation, new energy efficiency standards for saving energy will make wasteful[incandescent] light bulbs obsolete by 2014. Mandatory phase-outs will begin in 2012."
I ran across this opinion...
"In fact, if you use incandescents and power them with anything other than a coal-fired power plant, you’re releasing less mercury into the environment than someone who uses CFLs, no matter how those CFLs are powered. It could well be argued that a solar-powered lighting system using incandescents causes less environmental harm than a solar-powered lighting system using CFLs."
I have replaced nearly all of my bulbs with CFL's however I can't say I notice any difference in my power consumption and I do think it's a bit ironic that CFL's contain mercury.