The cable television industry saved about $646 million last year by cutting energy use by set-top boxes.
Light Reading reports that D+R International, an independent auditor, found that the voluntary program reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.6 metric tons and reduced energy use by 15.94 percent.
During the past three years, the program has generated almost $1.2 billion in energy savings and cut emissions by 6.5 million metric tons. The energy savings have increased in each of the past three years: Energy savings doubled in 2014 and rose another 82 percent last year, the story said.
The California Energy Commission is likely to adopt rules mandating reduction in computer equipment power requirements. The rules are expected to add about $18 to the cost of a device but reduce energy expenditures by a larger amount over the life of the computer.