California Energy Commission

Amid allegations of conflict of interest, the five members of the California Energy Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to tell lawmakers there was no benefit to fixing service station pumps to end an inequity that may be costing Californians millions of dollars a year.

California policymakers have played a vital role in promoting energy conservation in the United States, forcing manufacturers to produce less electricity-hungry kitchen appliances, air conditioners and numerous other devices large and small. Now the California Energy Commission is proposing the nation's first wattage limits for television sets. Applicable initially to TVs with screens up to 58 inches in diagonal (rules for larger sets to come), the standard would kick in two years from now if approved by the commission next month, with even tougher limits taking effect in 2013.