Simple economics (Score 1)

I don't understand why this "it has not been proven whether higher manufacturing energy costs kept the new lighting from offering a net gain" argument has any traction.

It's simple economics: Energy costs money and nobody in the manufacturing supply chain is going to provide free energy. So assuming everyone is making a profit (or breaking even at least) then the price the consumer pays must cover the cost of the energy used in manufacture and transport.

So if the end consumer realizes a net saving at the end of the product's life then then it's a genuine net gain.

(I am assuming here that energy prices are in the same ball park the world over and have the same fossil fuel vs renewable ratio: a crude assumption but I think sufficient for this argument).