Despite fierce opposition from Consumer Electronics Association, the California Energy Commission Wednesday gave a unanimous approval to the first mandatory energy efficiency curbs on television sets in the state.

As per the recently-approved regulation, it will become mandatory that, beginning 2011 onwards, there should be a 33 percent less electricity consumption by the TVs sold in California, with the figures rising to 49 percent less by 2013; vis-à-vis the present electricity consumption by the TVs.

Backed by California utilities and environmental groups, the latest attempt by California regulators to standardize television efficiency will not only help consumers cut down on electricity bills, but will also notably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Supporters of the new state-level regulation opine that, upon its full implementation, the measure will help California - a pioneer in US environmental initiatives - save at least $8 billion in consumers' electricity costs over a decade. The statistics assume all the more significance in the light of the fact that California already boasts the lowest per-capita rate of electricity use in the country.

Noting that the new energy efficiency standard will be the most stringent for new TVs in the world, even topping the last-year-approved standards by the European Union, Noah Horowitz, a senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, opined that the move will "transform the market around the world."