Last week, manufacturers voiced their concerns about proposed standards from the California Energy Commission that would limit power consumption in TVs. The Los Angeles Times also issued an editorial criticizing the regulations as bureaucratic overkill that could hurt the entertainment industry. A hearing is slated for tomorrow morning in Sacramento.
This week, the Sacramento Bee issued a response in favor of the regulations.
"The new rules are expected to save consumers $18 to $30 per year in utility bills for each television in their home. Once fully phased in, the rules will save enough electricity to power more than 850,000 single-family homes equivalent to the population of Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale and Palo Alto combined," the Bee wrote.
The paper also noted that the CEC has been instrumental in keeping energy consumption in California down. Refrigerators used to be the largest single source of energy consumption in the home. Regulations passed in the 1970s have since lead to dramatic increases in efficiency. Appliance makers opposed those regulations.
More than 400 TVs already would pass muster under the proposed standards, which would require TV makers to reduce power consumption on TVs by 33 percent by 2011 and 49 percent by 2013. Vizio, one of the few U.S. manufacturers, actually has come out in favor of the standards.
The Environmental Defense Fund, meanwhile, said that the regulations could save state consumers $8.1 billion over ten years.
"Improving energy efficiency is the easiest and most cost-effective way to cut pollution and save consumers and businesses money," wrote Lauren Navarro, an attorney with the EDF.
It is going to be an interesting showdown. It pits two powerful state constituencies against each other and both come armed with fairly cogent arguments. TVs have been dropping rapidly in power consumption. At the same time, regulations like this have clearly prodded manufacturers to improve their products without necessarily causing increases in price.
What side are you on? Please write in with your comments.
