California reaching too far with ban on power-guzzling big screen TVs?

California has regulated power consumption for other appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners in the past, but now the state government is turning its attention to big screen plasma and LCD TVs. The average household in California consumes about 10% of its daily energy by using TVs.

With the convergence of TVs and oversized computer monitors meaning almost the same thing, it’s no surprise that big screens account for that much energy consumption. Not everyone is in agreement with state officials though, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is fighting that legislation citing concerns about stifling innovation with too many regulations.

Commissioners aren’t terribly concerned with CEA’s claims and that’s partially because some TV makers aren’t worried about the upcoming regulations. Vizio Inc. indicated that it will easily be able to meet the new power use standards with minimal impact to consumer pricing. Its top executive says “we're comfortable with our ability to meet the proposed levels and implementation dates,” according to the Los Angeles Times. A comment like that certainly undermines CEA’s case.

LCD TVs using LED lights may provide some relief to the industry because of their natural tendency to use less power and last longer. Samsung has fairly recently begun marketing its new line of flat screen TVs as LED which has garnered intense consumer interest.

LED or LCD doesn’t matter to California regulators though, only if it uses power efficiently. That could wrack up $30 in energy savings per year for the average Californian and save $912 million across the state in the first year. It also could mean the difference between installing another power plant, which may keep the air and water in California that much cleaner.

The CEA doesn’t care so much about the environmental benefits as it does about protecting the bottom line, and it claims the industry is already moving toward power efficiency without government interference. Nice try CEA.