SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

Today, consumer advocates, small businesses, trade associations, and anti- tax groups launched a new coalition -- Californians for Smart Energy -- to demonstrate the widespread opposition to the California Energy Commission's (CEC) unnecessary and job-killing proposal to set arbitrary limits on television electricity usage.

The CEC's regulation would effectively ban the sale of 25 percent of current big screen TV models and 100 percent of plasma TVs larger than 60 inches in California. According to a Resolution Economics, LLC study, the CEC's regulation would cost California $50 million a year in lost tax revenues and destroy 4,600 jobs. Small business owners across the state had reactions ranging from disappointment to disbelief.

"Enough is enough," said Leon SooHoo, President and CEO of Paradyme Sound & Vision in Sacramento. "California is already suffering the worst unemployment since World War II - why would the state push a proposal that further hurts our economy, small businesses, hard-working families and consumers?"

"The last thing California needs is another regulation that punishes small business owners and decreases tax revenue," said Shawn Worst, President of Evolution Home Theatre, Inc in San Diego. "What we need during times like these is for the state to remove road blocks for small businesses like mine, not add more."

The CEC is expected to act on the proposed regulation sometime this summer, and the economic impact would be dramatic.

"Taking these highly popular TVs off the shelves would seriously hurt my business," said Don Mueller, Owner of North Bay AVS Design in Santa Rosa. "I estimate that the CEC's regulation would slash 15- 20 percent of our sales. In light of today's economic climate, we'd be forced to cut 15-20 percent of our labor to make up for the losses."

"Does the CEC not realize that savvy consumers will simply buy the TVs they want online or across state lines, driving away California jobs and tax revenues with it?" said Joel Ayala, President & CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "This is a bad idea even with a good economy; with a bad economy this is horrible - many small businesses will literally be priced out of the market. I urge the CEC to not make a bad situation worse with this job-killing regulation."

Industry experts reiterated that this regulation is unnecessary, and that television manufacturers are already working with government to meet energy efficiency goals.

"This regulation is unnecessary because of the tremendous success of the federal government's existing ENERGY STAR program, which encourages and advances energy efficiency in TVs and many other electronics. ENERGY STAR combined with innovation means that manufacturers are continuously improving TV energy performance," said Doug Johnson, Senior Director of Technology Policy and International Affairs for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). "For example, 20 percent of flat panel TVs in 2008 had green features, and this number is expected to increase to 70 percent by 2012. The industry wants to work with California to reach its energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission goals, but we firmly believe that this regulation is the wrong approach."

The coalition also launched an interactive website today -- www.CASmartEnergy.com -- to educate the public and engage supporters. Features include a platform for Californians to voice their opposition directly to the CEC and testimonials from small businesses across the state, as well as links to the coalition's Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Californians-for-Smart-Energy/ 118950385329 ) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/casmartenergy ) pages.

Californians for Smart Energy is a growing coalition, drawing members from a wide range of industries and locations across the state. The group was formed as a response to the CEC's job-killing proposal to ban big-screen TVs and will continue to navigate California's energy challenges with solutions that are effective without causing undue harm to the state's economy.

As of August 3, membership includes:

Small Business Members

Alpine Technical Services, Inc. (Truckee/Lake Tahoe)

Andrews Electronics (Valencia)

Audio Video Dimensions (American Canyon)

AVAD, LLC (Van Nuys)

AV Partners (Thousand Oaks)

B.I.S. Technologies (Bakersfield)

Creative Touch (Sacramento)

Elk Grove Home Theater (Elk Grove)

Evolution Home Theatre, Inc. (San Diego)

Gale Enterprises (Sacramento)

J. Smith and Sons (Sacramento)

Kingsley Audio Video Inc. (Irvine)

Mission Audio Video Inc (Santa Barbara)

North Bay AVS Design (Santa Rosa)

Paradyme Sound and Vision (Sacramento)

RSP Solutions (Calabasas)

The Appropriate Connections, Inc (Gilroy)

Wilshire Home Entertainment (Los Angeles)

Wilson Home Theater Systems (Sherman Oaks)

Association Members

Americans for Tax Reform

California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

California Restaurant Association

California Retailers Association (CRA)

California Taxpayer Protection Committee

Citizens for California Reform

Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA)

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC)

People's Advocate

Plasma Display Coalition

San Diego Taxfighters

Small Business Action Committee

SOURCE Californians for Smart Energy

Originally published by Californians for Smart Energy.

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