California Says No To Power-Guzzling TVs

Never late to the environmental-regulation party, California introduced an energy-efficiency standard yesterday aimed to combat the insatiable power hunger of flat panel televisions. The Golden State became the first state in the country to impose such a restriction when its Energy Commission voted unanimously on it. The new rule is set to become effective in 2011 and will require that televisions up to 58 inches being sold in the state consume 33 percent less electricity by 2011 and 49 percent by 2013. It will not apply retroactively to current TVs being used and sold.

According to numbers provided by the commission, residents of the state stand to gain $8 billion over 10-years’ time once more efficient TVs start hitting living rooms. The commission’s numbers indicate that 10 percent of the average California home’s electricity is spent on televisions and components like DVD players. New technology isn’t helping, as newer plasma and LCD TVs eat upwards of three times as much energy as the antiquated boob tube.

Not surprisingly, the Consumer Electronics Association was vehemently opposed to the new regulation and called it “unjustified and unnecessary”. And I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of those electron-sucking big screens became victim to an airborn remote when industry execs got word of the ruling. Call it early adoption of efficient television technology. [via NY Times] [Picture]