California is trying to tackle the energy problems created by ever-increasing sizes of energy sucking plasma TV’s at the source. By 2011, legislators are hoping that all but the most efficient televisions will be unavailable in California. A plasma screen TV uses 300 times the energy of a tube TV.
If it passes, the first round of regulations would go into effect in 2011, decreasing user’s electricity bills by about 20 dollars a year. The second tier would come into effect in 2013, lowering bills further by another $10 a year.
This could effectively eliminate plasma TVs from the market, since LCD televisions have made more progress in efficiency than plasma TV’s. The legislation could also have the opposite effect, forcing manufacturers to make more efficient sets for the California market, but also selling those sets everywhere. Less efficient sets would have a smaller market, and so would be more rapidly phased out.
March 10th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Ugh. I’m so tired of these damn green lunatics trying to control what I watch and don’t watch. Just because it happens to suck more energy. What a load of crap.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
A plasma uses 300 times the energy of a tube TV? Huh? Where did they get that figure. When I replaced my 32″ Sony tube tv with a 42″ Panasonic Plasma I noticed very little difference in my electric bill, up just a little but I found myself watching MUCH more TV!
Wow we’ll be able to save $1.70 per month by 2011 and about $2.50 a month by 2013 if this crackpot idea goes through! What the hell am I going to do with all that extra money??? The mind boggles, maybe treat myself to a cup of Starbucks every other months! Your beaurocrats and your tax dollars at work folks!
April 17th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Really Sad News!!
April 19th, 2009 at 5:32 am
I agree, tell these green freaks to just make more power. If people loose there big screen tvs then they will loose all sanity and go insane. THis is so stupid.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
chart compares hdtv power demand - http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-6400401-2.html suggests higher draw on large screens but not 300x the energy of a tube tv