President Donald J. Trump stops to talk to reporters and members of the media as he departs on the South Lawn at the White House on Wednesday, Aug 21, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced that it will roll back requirements for more energy-efficient lightbulbs, introducing a set of rules that could lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global warming.

The filing from the Energy Department would prevent new efficiency requirements from implementation on Jan. 1 under a previous law passed in 2007 during President George W. Bush's administration. That law phased out inefficient incandescent and halogen bulbs, and was approved with bipartisan support in Congress.

The standards that were scheduled to take effect in January applied to about half of the roughly 6 billion lightbulbs used in the U.S., and would have prevented millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Despite the initial support for the bill from both sides of the aisle, the issue turned contentious during the Obama administration as the more efficient lightbulbs began to hit the market. Those include the LED bulbs that look more like the traditional pear-shaped incandescent bulbs, but use one-fifth the energy.

Over the past decade, incandescent bulbs, which are the largely recognized glass orbs with glowing wire centers, have been rapidly replaced with more energy-efficient alternatives in America's fight against greenhouse gas emissions.

The Trump administration's new rules will likely be met with pushback from environmental groups and consumers, and be challenged in court. Critics contend that if Trump's reversal is finalized, it will create higher energy bills for consumers and more pollution.

"We will explore all options, including litigation, to stop this completely misguided and unlawful action," Noah Horowitz, director of the Center for Energy Efficiency Standards at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement Wednesday.

"The Trump administration is illegally blocking the improved standards approved by a bipartisan Congress and supported by the lighting industry 12 years ago."

In contrast, industry groups like the National Electrical Manufacturers Association have pushed against the new standards that require consumers to use more efficient options, saying that they would risk jobs and consumers' ability to choose.