I want an X10 switch that controls a fluorescent bulb, but I don't have a neutral wire. What are my options? (Besides running a neutral wire or having an electrician do it.) Are there any X10 switches that will safely control a fluorescent bulb without the use of a neutral wire?

The x10 switches that work without a neutral wire pass a small current through the bulb at all times(they will specify a 40 watt bulb for example) so it is able to "look" for x10 signals in the ac current. You do not want to pass a small current through a fluorescent ballast system so my guess is you will need to add a neutral wire or change to an incandescent bulb.

Yep, neutral is required.

I know this is an old post, but the question still applies. I'm wondering if this would work:

With the power off at the breaker, cut the black and white wires from the ballast.
Put a female plug on "power in" side of the black and white wire cut.
Plug an X-10 appliance module into the new female plug.
Put a male plug on the black and white wires coming out of the ballast and plug it into the appliance module.
Can't you now control this fluorescent unit via X10 remote (if the wall switch is left turned on)?

I am sorry I can't resist. Yeah that would work since there is a neutral at the load good thinking. Also for that tiny drain current required to listen to the line (x10 bus) you could stick a tiny inline milliampere fuse to the copper ground wire. That neutral doesn't carry any load current so the fuse is there just in case of a catastrophic failure of some sort. You always want a functional ground, not one that is inadvertently returning load current to the breaker box. Totally illegal btw.