California Imposes Energy Efficiency Standards on Television Sets

Regulators in the state of California granted approval for the implementation of energy efficiency standards on television sets, effectively making California the first state in the United States to impose such restrictions. Senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Noah Horowitz, revealed that California's energy efficiency standards are primed to become the most confining for power draining flat panel televisions in the entire world. The decision to impose energy efficiency standards was made by California in an attempt to preserve the environment and help residents conserve energy.

According to The New York Times, the California Energy Commission's television efficiency standards will be implemented in 2011. The restrictions reportedly would not affect television sets that are currently owned by state residents or televisions that are currently available for purchase at retailers located in California. The state's restrictions state that television sets of up to 58 inches would have to consume 33 percent less electricity than they currently do 2011.

The restrictions also clarify that the California Energy Commission is requiring that televisions sold in California would have to consume 49 percent less electricity by the year 2013. Estimates that have been unveiled by the Consumer Electronics Association indicate that approximately 25 percent of all television sets currently available for purchase at retailers would fail to meet the Energy Commission's standards.