I have three basic questions on compact fluorescent lights (CFL)

Are magnetic inductive ballasts, used in fluorescent lights, responsible for the undesirable lowering of power factor? Or do they raise power factor?

Do the new electronic CFLs have as much detrimental affect on power factor as the magnetic ballast types?

With the popularity and the possibility of CFLs in every household in the US will this technology have an affect on electric power delivery?

With 160,000,000) households (US census) in the US and conservatively speaking 15-20 lamps per household, we are talking about 2.4 billion to 3.2 billion lamps. That is a lot of mercury to reclaim. Fortunately they all don't burn out at once.

Transformer ballasts tend to lower power factor. True for CFL's and Fluorescent lamps in general.

Modern Electronic ballasts tend to have PFC (Power Factor Corrction) circuitry built in. At one time switching power supplies did not.

Modern ballasts can achieve 0.99 PF:

http://www.blueexcel.com/uploadpic/Fluo_IR2166.ppt

Hence, no impact. Since the ideal PF =1.

LED lighting will replace florescents, eventually.