California wants its eeTVs (ee = energy efficient)

Posted by Siel in environment,feminist/politics,tv (Friday October 16, 2009 at 12:42 pm)

Old televisions October’s Energy Awareness Month — and soon, being energy-aware about our televisions will likely get easier for Dexter fans!

Yes, California’s already well-known for passing energy-efficiency standards for appliances and electronics — and the state looks ready to apply its eco-smart standards to televisions too. The L.A. Times reports that as soon as Nov. 4, California policymakers could pass “the nation’s first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions.”

After all, previous energy-efficiency standards applied to everything from refrigerators to air conditioners have shown that setting high standards leads to more eco-friendly appliances and gadgets — without hurting the economy. Reports the L.A. Times:

If all TVs met state standards, [energy commission staff engineer Ken] Rider added, California could avoid the $600-million cost of building a natural-gas-fired power plant. Switching to more-efficient TVs could have an estimated net benefit to the state of $8.1 billion, the commission staff reported.

Even if the California Energy Commission votes to set tough efficiency standards for TVs on Nov. 1, it’ll be a while before all TVs are eco-smart, since standards would be phased in over 2 years starting Jan. 2011. Still, once California sets this regulation, many states will follow suit — and even the ones that don’t will benefit from a marketplace that’s adapted to the tougher laws that California’s mandated.

While you’re making your home more energy-efficient, pay attention to vampire power, since this month’s also apparently Vampire Power Month! Here’s a quick, spooky Vampire Power Sucks video to show how you can save money while shutting down coal power plants by simply unplugging the appliances you aren’t using.