RADIO LAW: CALIFORNIA BANS HIGH ENERGY USE TV RECEIVERS TV sets that use excessive levels of mains power will be banned from store shelves in California. This, after state regulators voted on Wednesday, November 18th to adopt a mandate to reduce electricity demand.
On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient, beginning in 2011. The requirement will be tougher in 2013, with only a quarter of all TVs currently on the market meeting that standard. TV sets larger than 58 inches, which account for no more than 3 percent of the market, would not be covered by the rule. This is viewed as a concession to independent retailers that sell high-end home-theater TV systems. However, the commission is expected to regulate them in the future.
The commission estimates that TV receivers account for about 10 percent of a home's electricity use. The concern is that the energy draw will rise by as much as 8 percent a year as consumers buy larger televisions, add more to their homes and watch them longer. Commissioners say energy efficiency standards are the cheapest and easiest way to save electricity. More than 1,050 models sold today comply with the 2011 California standards, and more than 300 comply with the 2013 standard, according to the Energy Commission. (Published reports)
