美國環保署推出節能效果更高的能源之星標章，全美1日起市面上已可找到符合新規的電視產品。和舊款電視相比，符合新認證規格的電視能源效能提升了30%。
美國環保署長強森（Stephen Johnson）表示，「環保署建議消費者在購買電視時，尋找具有『能源之星』認證的產品，這次能源之星的新規格，更關注耗能的組件上。」
現今美國境內使用的電視大約有2750萬台，平均每年消耗超過500億瓩的電力－佔了所有家庭用電量4%左右；根據聯邦政府計算顯示，該電量足以供應紐約所有家庭整整一年的耗電量。
強森說道，「如果美國販售的電視都符合能源之星的新規格，每年就能省下10億元的能源支出，且減少的溫室氣體相當於100萬台車輛的排放量。」
符合能源之星3.0版的電視產品已於2008年2月4日通過認証；該版本要求電視在開啟、關閉或是待機時都能達到能源效率。
此外，針對已通過能源之星認證的產品，也要求必須適時使用外部電力。這是由於現在市面販售的電視愈來愈大、一天使用時間多了好幾小時，且提供更多的動態圖像等原因，都使電力使用量增加，所以這項新制訂的規格相當重要。事實上，有些很大且高解析度的電視每年耗電量高達500瓩。
新規格適用於所有品牌的電視，其中製造商也已在2008年11月1日生效日之前讓產品規格符合標準；且經過能源之星認證的電視，幾乎能在所有的電子產品銷售店內找到。環保署鼓勵想要購置電視的消費者，向銷售員詢問符合能源之星新規格的機種，以確保能買到符合新版規格的產品。
儘管愈來愈多的能源效率電視陸續推出，但針對使用POD（Point of Deployment）模組的數位有線電視，能源之星不久前才增加能源效率指引。
數位有線電視增加了機上盒設備，而使用的cable cards則由當地的有線業者提供給消費者。目前尚未有數位有線電視通過能源之星的認證，但未來將指日可待。
能源之星是美國環保署和能源部從1992年共同推行的一項計畫，以自發性、市場基礎夥伴關係為模式，藉由透過制定能源效率標準來減少能源使用量。
如今已能在50幾種不同的產品上看到能源之星標標誌，此外某些建築物和新建房子也包含在內。藉由符合嚴格的能源效率標準，通過能源之星認證的產品具備了抑制溫室氣體釋放量的功能。根據聯邦政府資料顯示，美國在2007年因為使用能源之星認證產品，省下了160億美元的能源支出，而這都是因為溫室氣體排放量減少的程度相當於270萬輛汽車的排放量之故。
Televisions meeting the federal government's new, more comprehensive energy efficiency specification will be available in stores nationwide, starting on Saturday. TVs that meet the new Energy Star specification will be up to 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional models.
"EPA encourages consumers to look for the Energy Star label when buying new televisions," said U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. "Energy Star's new specifications for televisions are turning the channel on energy guzzling sets."
There are about 275 million TVs currently in use in the United States, consuming over 50 billion kilowatt of energy each year - about four percent of all households' electricity use. This is enough electricity to power all the homes in the state of New York for an entire year, according to federal government calculations.
If all televisions sold in the United States met the new Energy Star requirements, the savings in energy costs would be about $1 billion annually and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent of about one million cars, Johnson said.
The Version 3.0 Energy Star TV products specification was finalized on February 4, 2008. It requires energy efficiency when televisions are on, as well as off or in standby mode.
It also requires the use of external power supplies that have earned the Energy Star label, where applicable. This new specification is important since televisions being sold now are larger, in use more hours a day, and offer more vibrant pictures, which can increase the amount of electricity they use.
In fact, some of the largest, high resolution televisions can use as much as 500 kilowatt hours per year.
The new specification applies to all brands of television sets. Manufacturers have qualified their models ahead of the November 1, 2008 effective date. Energy Star qualified televisions can be found at most stores where electronics are sold.
Consumers who want to buy new TVs are encouraged to ask their sales associates for newly qualified Energy Star sets to ensure they are getting a television that qualifies under this enhanced specification.
Even more energy efficient televisions are on the way. Energy Star has just added energy-efficiency guidelines for digital cable ready televisions with a point of deployment, POD, slot.
These TVs add the functions of a cable box to the television set by using a card that users can get from their local cable operators. Energy Star qualified versions of these TVs are not yet available, but look for them in the future.
The Energy Star program was introduced by the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Energy Department in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce energy use through efficiency standards.
Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products as well as buildings and new homes. Products that have earned the Energy Star label prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government.
Federal government data show that in 2007, Americans using Energy Star products saved $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million vehicles.
