Golden State regulators have found a new toy. The California Energy Commission has just approved a measure to force television manufacturers to produce new models by 2013 that cut energy consumption by 50%. According to the commission, total household energy consumption from television sets has climbed to 10% up from 3-4% in the 1990s. There are a couple of reasons for this growth, including the new generation of flat screen sets as well as similar regulations for other household appliances, which has reduced their comparative energy use.
However, this particular regulation seems after the fact. First, in 2013, who can be sure where we will be watching our visual entertainment? Technological convergence is already with us—we're now watching live streaming via smartphones, laptops, home computers—and there will be more advancements coming down the pike. Conventional television still dominates, but this is going to change dramatically within the next decade.
How does this regulation really affect long term climate change planning? It's not unlike taxing buggy whips after the Model T came to market. Perhaps the commission would be better off discussing this issue with those in the know—homegrown CEOs at the technology companies in their own state, such as Apple, Intel or ebay.
Or they might think about talking to the state's Department of Education and campaigning for a "no television" day once a month. That would really cut down on energy usage.
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