California plans to crack down on power-hungry TVs
That 52-inch, flat-screen TV on the family room wall may have a terrific picture, but there's a big drawback: It's an energy hog.
State regulators are getting ready to curb the growing power gluttony of TV sets by drafting the nation's first rules to require retailers to sell only the most energy efficient televisions starting in 2011.
The consumer electronics industry opposes the regulations, expected to pass in mid-2009, and claims that they could remove some TVs from store shelves and slightly boost sticker prices.
But the California Energy Commission is looking for ways to relieve the strain on the power grid. Officials say the standards, once fully in place, would reduce the state's annual energy needs by an amount equivalent to the power consumed by 86,400 homes.
During a peak viewing time when most sets are on, such as the Super Bowl, TVs in the state collectively suck up the equivalent of 40% of the power generated by the San Onofre nuclear power station running at full capacity. Televisions account for about 10% of the average Californian's monthly household electricity bill.
Some manufacturers could struggle to meet the new standards, particularly those that make plasma TVs. And the regulations could create a "gray" market, sending consumers intent on buying power-hungry models to Amazon.com and other Internet retailers based outside the state.
-- Marc Lifsher
Photo: Flat-screen TVs at Wilshire Home Entertainment in Thousand Oaks. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
