By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the California Energy Commission adopted the most advanced TV energy efficiency standards in the world on Thursday.
The new standards will make new TVs 30%-50% more efficient and are expected to could cut statewide electricity bills by a billion dollars a year. The electricity saved will be equal to the amount used by all the homes in Oakland and Anaheim annually.
The new standards are for TVs up to 58 inches and go into effect January 1, 2011.
The new standard will also eliminate the need for California to build a new, large-sized 500-megawatts (MW) power plant, reducing carbon emissions equal to removing 500,000 cars from the road.
“With today's pioneering decision, California is once again leading the way on energy efficiency standards. If history repeats itself, we expect many policy makers around the world to establish similar standards in the not too distant future,” Noah Horowitz, senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council said.
Read in-depth Los Angeles Times coverage at the link below.
