By Neal Goldberg, NCTA and Doug Johnson, CEA
The unprecedented, voluntary Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement that NCTA and CEA announced last December was just the first step in the multichannel video industry’s effort to implement significant commitments that will lead to annual savings of $1.5 billion for American consumers. One outcome of the agreement was the creation of a steering committee to ensure that the commitments are being met and provide a forum to discuss additional options for energy savings.
The companies that signed the agreement were Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon, Charter, AT&T, Cablevision, Bright House Networks and CenturyLink, and manufacturers Cisco, Motorola, EchoStar Technologies and ARRIS. Last Friday, companies implementing the agreement participated in the first steering committee meeting where officers were elected and progress reports were given.
The elected officers are as follows:
- Chairman – Steve Reynolds, senior vice president, premises technology, Comcast
- Secretary – Jeff Dygert, executive director, public policy, AT&T
- Treasurer – Steve Dulac, director, engineering, DIRECTV
In addition to electing officers, the group discussed implementing tracking guidelines and other ways to measure and report the results of the agreement. We’ll have more to share on these items in the coming weeks and months.
We remain confident that the voluntary agreement will accomplish real and significant energy savings for millions of Americans well before any government proceeding could. While the Department of Energy continues to explore a lengthy rulemaking about setting standards for set-top boxes, our industries will be delivering results that will achieve significant energy reductions and savings for consumers, while protecting innovation and competition.
Tags: ARRIS, ATT, bright house networks, Cablevision, CEA, centurylink, charter, Cisco, Comcast, Cox, directtv, dish network, echostar, energy, Green, Motorola, Time Warner Cable, Verizon