ARLINGTON, VA – The extension of an agreement that vows to improve the energy efficiency of set-top boxes is expected to save U.S. consumers $1.6 billion in energy costs and avoid 9.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year, once the benefits of the agreement's new commitments are fully realized.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association (NCTA) this week announced a four-year extension of the Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Set-Top Boxes, initially signed in 2012. The extension of the agreement runs through a report in 2022.
Agreement signatories include all major multichannel pay TV providers (AT&T/DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, Dish, Verizon, Cox, Cablevision, Frontier and CenturyLink), major manufacturers (Arris and Technicolor) and energy efficiency advocates (NRDC and ACEEE). CableLabs also plays a leading role in researching and developing energy efficiency strategies, defining the energy efficiency tiers, and supporting the ongoing implementation of the Voluntary Agreement.
The signatories also agreed to continue and intensify ongoing technical studies and collaborative efforts to lay a foundation for even more rigorous energy efficiency levels in the future.
"The Voluntary Agreement is already moving toward its third generation of improved energy standards and has saved consumers billions of dollars without slowing the rollout of new services such as 4K Ultra High-Definition set-top boxes," said NCTA's General Counsel Neal Goldberg, in the news release. "The extension of the Voluntary Agreement demonstrates our industry's commitment to approaches that assure our customers benefit from energy efficiency measures while maintaining our ability to develop new services and equipment which they demand."
"CTA believes that voluntary, market-driven initiatives are the most effective means of promoting and achieving significant energy efficiency gains," added CTA technology policy VP Doug Johnson. "The set-top box agreement is a successful public-private partnership that accommodates both rapid technological change and significant energy efficiency goals. Across the board, tech devices are becoming more energy efficient, and our industry remains committed to providing consumers with products, services and systems that save money and cut energy use."
