California Tunes Into Energy Saving Televisions

New Draft Measures Reduce Consumer Costs and Improve TV Efficiency

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 18, 2009) – The California Energy Commission (CEC) released a final draft of its efficiency standards for new televisions sold in California today. These standards will reduce the energy use of new TVs by 30 to 50 percent and put almost a billion dollars a year back into the California economy in the form of lower electric bills, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The standard will also eliminate the need for California to build a new, large-sized power plant (500 MW).

Following is a statement by Noah Horowitz, senior scientist with the NRDC:

“Televisions are one of the fastest growing sources of electricity use in the home, with some of the biggest models consuming more energy each year than a new refrigerator. Efforts to improve their energy savings are long overdue. But luckily, California is ready to lead the way as it had for the past 30 years through similar efforts that have saved consumers over $56 billion and helped to keep the State’s electricity use flat while the rest of the nation’s has skyrocketed.

“These TV standards will protect consumers’ pocketbooks, as the new, more efficient models will cost a lot less to operate while delivering that same great high definition picture. Many Californians will save around $200 in electricity over the life of the product.

“Passage of these standards will also further accelerate the industry’s switch to more efficient designs and ensure that all new TVs sold in California are efficient ones. Sony, Samsung, Vizio and others are already leading the way with energy-saving HDTVs that can be found on the store shelves today.”

For more information on these standards go to: