CEA Calls on California Regulators to Work Cooperatively on TV Energy Savings

Final Public Comments Detail Fundamental Errors in CEC Analysis and Offer
Alternatives to Onerous Regulations
ARLINGTON, Va.--(Business Wire)--
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today submitted final comments to
the California Energy Commission (CEC) regarding its proposed restrictions on
television sets that are sold in California. In its comments, CEA urges the CEC
to take a "bold step" and work cooperatively with the consumer electronics
industry to realize the desired energy savings without impeding technological
progress and consumer freedom to enjoy home entertainment.

"Consumer electronics manufacturers have already dramatically reduced the amount
of energy used by digital televisions-without regulation," notes Gary Shapiro,
CEA`s president and CEO. "In less than two years, the energy efficiency of
Energy Star TVs has improved by 41 percent. These successful efforts resulted
from competition among manufacturers to reduce costs to consumers in the global
marketplace-not government mandates. By combining voluntary industry efforts,
new initiatives to educate and encourage consumers to conserve TV energy and new
requirements related to energy-saving features, the CEC can minimize costs to
consumers and avoid economic harm to California and the damage these regulations
will cause to technological progress, design freedom, retailer interests, and
consumer rights."

CEA also submitted a detailed analysis of the numerous mathematical errors and
incorrect assumptions that the CEC is using to justify the new regulations. In a
report by LECG, financial and economic expert Dr. Paul Wazzan affirms that "the
CEC analysis suffers from grave computational and conceptual errors" and
concludes that not only are consumers unlikely to save dollars from reduced
energy costs, they are rather more likely to incur significant costs and suffer
from reduced access to technology and innovation.

CEA`s comments also included a study of readily adoptable alternatives that will
achieve the same or better energy savings for California. The alternatives
include Energy Star 3.0 and 4.0; new requirements for auto power-down and forced
menu brightness settings, a statewide educational campaign to encourage
consumers to change the preset viewing modes on TVs they already own; and a DTV
acceleration program that would reduce TV energy consumption by incentivizing
the retirement of old, inefficient analog TVs.

In its comments, CEA concludes that the costs of these regulations outweigh any
foreseeable benefit: "A fair assessment of the facts shows that voluntary
efforts, in concert with reasonable regulations requiring forced mode menus and
automatic shut-off, will result in savings at least as great as those
anticipated by the CEC. Consequently, the regulations cannot be justified and
should not be promulgated by the Commission."

"Green is good, but simply calling any onerous new regulatory proposal 'green'
does not make it good for the environment or good for consumers," adds Shapiro.
"This ban on new and evolving TV technologies is inconsistent with consumer
behavior, with economics and with fact-based decision making. It is bad for
California, bad for energy savings, bad for innovation and bad for the
phenomenally successful Energy Star program."

CEA`s comments and accompanying materials will be available for media upon
request, and posted at www.CE.org/energy after 10 a.m. ET tomorrow, November 3.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association
promoting growth in the $172 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More
than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative
advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion
and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and
manages the International CES - Where Entertainment, Technology and Business
Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA`s industry services. Find
CEA online at www.CE.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* CES New York Press Preview featuring CES Unveiled @ NY
November 10, 2009, New York, NY

* Future of Television East
November 18-19, 2009, New York, NY

* 2010 International CES
January 7-10, 2010, Las Vegas, NV

* Greener Gadgets
February 25, 2010, New York, NY

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
Jennifer Bemisderfer, 703-907-4322
jenb@CE.org
www.CE.org
or
Steve Kidera, 703-907-4358
skidera@CE.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009