Consumer Electronics Association Seeks 'Voluntary' Initiatives to Boost Energy Efficiency

Energy Resource, May 1, 2007

ENERGY RESOURCE-1 May 2007-Consumer Electronics Association Seeks 'Voluntary' Initiatives to Boost Energy Efficiency(C)2007 JeraOne - http://www.jeraone.com

The Consumer Electronics Association today urged Congress to support innovation and voluntary initiatives for energy efficiency of consumer electronics and expressed concern regarding state-level adoption of inconsistent energy efficiency standards for electronics.

The comments were made during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, which is discussing the Department of Energy's program for setting efficiency standards.

According to CEA, voluntary initiatives, such as Energy Star program, have delivered more energy efficient products to consumers and businesses over time.

"Of the two billion Energy Star purchases since 1992, more than half - 1.1 billion - have been consumer electronics devices," said Douglas Johnson, CEA's senior director of technology policy and international affairs. "As policy makers consider programs and policies that support the efficient use of energy, we urge Congress to support innovation and promote consumer-oriented initiatives like Energy Star that are flexible and market-oriented.

"Energy Star is clearly the best policy approach to saving energy in the consumer electronics sector, and it has saved billions of kilowatt hours of electricity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons," said Johnson.

Johnson also expressed concern regarding "a burgeoning state patchwork of energy efficiency standards" for external power supplies, also known as AC power adapters, which are used with a wide range of consumer electronics including mobile phones, PDAs, laptop computers, digital cameras and camcorders.

"We are deeply concerned by a recent increase in state legislative activity. Patchwork standards are a decentralized, divergent and economically inefficient approach to energy efficiency," Johnson said. He added that CEA supports quick federal action on establishing a national energy efficiency standard for external power supplies.

Johnson also noted the industry's role in promoting energy efficiency, citing CEA's new consumer education website, myGreenelectronics.org, which provides online tools that help consumers choose energy efficient products.

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