California seeking to cut TV energy consumption by 50%

A new report from The Golden State’s Energy Commission has estimated that televisions and their electronic accessories account for 10% of the electricity used in an average household. In an attempt to combat this, the commission is proposing a much more strict efficiency standard be put into place for televisions, requiring them to consume some 50% less power by 2013. Actively seeking to emplace the standards as early as this summer, the policy would affect televisions manufactured from January 2011 onward.

In resistance to the frugal standards, the Consumer Electronics Association argues that the industry could achieve similar savings without the rules. By making adjustments as minute as decreasing brightness and contrast levels, energy consumption could be cut by as much as 25%, according to senior director Douglas Johnson.

Already sitting at a meager 10% market share of the four million TV’s sold in the state annually, plasma displays, using up to 30% or more energy per square inch than LCD displays, would be the most taken back by the plan – if not crippled.