California is a wreck, of course, but every once in a while regulators manage to get through a groundbreaking mandate that will actually do some good for the world (if it doesn't get upended in the courts). The California Energy Commission voted unanimously to require all new TVs sold in the state to consume 33 percent less energy than current sets, starting with the 2011 model year - and 50 percent less starting with 2013 models. The energy used for TV sets account for 10 percent of home electric bills in the state. Given the size of California's market (especially during football season), manufacturers will probably go along with the new standard. From Reuters:

The rule was adopted against the backdrop of a larger state effort to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gas pollutants by 28 percent by 2020. Public utilities, which backed the measure, estimate it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3 million metric tons over a decade. Nearly three years in the making, the measure is the latest in a long line of energy efficiency regulations pioneered by the California Energy Commission for a appliances ranging from refrigerators to cell-phone chargers.

The commission said more than 1,000 TV models now on the market already meet the 2011 standards.