BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           1198 (Huff)
          
          Hearing Date:  05/17/2010           Amended: 04/27/2010
          Consultant:  Brendan McCarthy   Policy Vote: EU&C 6-4
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          BILL SUMMARY: SB 1198 prevents the California Energy Commission  
          from implementing existing television product labeling  
          regulations before July 1, 2011. In addition, the regulations  
          shall only be effective until the Federal Trade Commission  
          issues a federal labeling rule.
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2010-11      2011-12       2012-13     Fund
           
          Regulation implementation         Minor costs           General  
          *                                                       
          * Energy Resources Program Account.
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          STAFF COMMENTS: For Vote Only.
          
          Current law requires the California Energy Commission to adopt  
          energy efficiency standards for appliances that use significant  
          amounts of energy or water. Adopted standards must not result in  
          additional total costs to consumers over an appliance's life.

          In November 2009, the Energy Commission adopted energy  
          efficiency standards for new televisions beginning in 2011 and  
          2013. (These standards have not yet been approved by the Office  
          of Administrative Law.) The Tier 1 standards will reduce energy  
          use of new televisions by about 33 percent, starting in 2011.  
          The Tier 2 standards will reduce total energy use of new  
          televisions by an average of 49 percent, starting in 2013. In  
          addition, beginning in 2011, televisions sold in the state must  
          be permanently marked with information on the television's  
          electricity consumption.

          The Federal Trade Commission has a program requiring certain  
          appliances to be labeled with "EnergyGuide" labels containing  










          information on estimated operating costs. The Federal Trade  
          Commission is currently considering extending this labeling  
          requirement to televisions.

          This bill would prohibit the Energy Commission television  
          labeling requirement from taking effect before July 1, 2011.   
          After July 1, 2011, the labeling requirement would only be  
          effective until the Federal Trade Commission adopts a federal  
          labeling requirement.

          Staff notes this bill was heard on May 10th and failed passage  
          (5-4). Reconsideration was granted (9-0).