Lawmakers in California want smartphone makers to become smarter in their deployment of energy efficient technologies.
On Thursday, state legislators in California voted in a somewhat controversial move to obligate handset makers to ship energy-efficient battery chargers.
But here’s the kicker. Unlike so many legislative acts that often take three to five years to go into effect, the new requirement takes effect next year.
According to the AP, “despite objections by consumer product makers, the California Energy Commission voted 3-0 on Thursday to regulate the power-sapping chargers that waste as much as 60 percent of the electricity they consume.”
This sweeping new requirement lumps together cellphones, tablets and a veritable electronic breadbasket of other mobile devices.
The standards target an estimated 170 million chargers described as “vampires” because they continuously draw power from the grid when plugged into the wall, even if no device is connected to the charger.
Published reports indicate that yesterday’s move was a first-of-its kind requirement targeting smartphones in legislative history.
Do you agree with the decision to mandate more energy efficiency from smartphone makers when it comes to their chargers? Please leave a thought or comment below.
