CEDIA leaders are voicing their anger and disappointment over the adoption of what they are calling “the unnecessary and harmful regulation” regarding the California TV energy efficiency standard that the California Energy Commission (CEC) chose to adopt on yesterday.
Despite continued efforts and data outlining the negative ramifications of the ruling provided by CEDIA and the Californians for Smart Energy coalition, the CEC adopted regulations on the energy consumption of televisions sold in California. This regulation, CEDIA said, will have a significant negative impact on the sale and installation of flat-panel displays and the businesses in the residential electronic systems industry.
“CEDIA has worked tirelessly on this issue and is dismayed and frustrated at the CEC’s decision to pass the ruling,” said CEDIA CEO Utz Baldwin. “From the beginning of the hearings it was evident that the CEC had already determined the outcome before they started and had no intentions of factoring in any other viewpoints.”
According to Baldwin, not only does the ruling negatively affect CEDIA members’ ability to do business, it also minimizes their ability to provide enhanced energy-efficient solutions to their clients.
“The television is often the first point of entry into the home for CEDIA members,” Baldwin said. “By placing a mandate on the energy-usage of TVs in the home, this ruling is ultimately preventing small business owners’ ability to provide enhanced energy-saving technologies that go above and beyond the television.”
CEDIA director of public policy Darren Reaman added that despite the beliefs of the CEC, their actions will negatively impact California-based electronic systems contractors as well as the entire residential electronic systems industry in California. “The CEC’s actions will negatively affect hundreds of small businesses that employ thousands of people in the residential electronic systems industry and increase California’s 12-percent unemployment rate,” he stated.
CEDIA has worked on this issue for more than a year. Throughout the process, the trade association has provided examples to the CEC regarding the continuous efforts of electronic systems contractors who are working without a mandate to meet customers’ desire for energy-efficient homes to become more energy-efficient with numerous solutions. CEDIA worked closely with the Californians for Smart Energy coalition and other industry stakeholders to inform the CEC about the negative consequences the proposed rule would have on the State of California, and specifically hundreds of small businesses.
“This has been an uphill battle since this regulation was proposed and CEDIA will continue to invest time and resources in this issue not only in the State of California, but as the issue is brought up in other states,” Baldwin added.
CEDIA supports manufacturer and retailer participation in energy efficiency programs and has established a Green Task Force charged with researching processes and procedures for developing energy-efficient products for consumers.
For more information CEDIA’s public policy efforts, visit www.cedia.org/public_policy.
