Nov. 1--For an organization that prides itself on representing one of America's most forward-looking industries, the Consumer Electronics Association has sounded more like the stodgy old Chamber of Commerce lately.

A case in point is the tech trade group's response to California's proposal to make televisions more energy-efficient, scheduled for final approval this week.

It's not just that the CEA, whose membership includes a broad spectrum of tech companies, such as Intel, Microsoft and Apple, has challenged the regulations with dubious claims that they'll raise TV prices by hundreds of dollars, lead to thousands of job losses and millions of dollars in lost tax revenue.

It's not just that the organization has been on a fear-mongering crusade that the rules will curtail the number and kind of TVs that Californians can choose from, and potentially stymie new technologies such as 3-D television.

No, the organization's rear-guard action goes much further by challenging the very idea that California and its Energy Commission should be putting a cap on energy use by TVs.

As Doug Johnson, the CEA's senior director of technology policy, put it, the proposed regulations are "an egregious action. They're neither justified nor necessary."

Such a hard-line stance resembles the one taken lately by the Chamber of Commerce, which has a history of opposing regulation, in resisting legislation that would attempt to curb global

warming through establishing a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. And it's similarly out of touch with reality.

Because here's the thing: Attempts to curb energy usage didn't begin with TVs -- and they're not going to stop there.

Already, the federal government has set efficiency standards for light bulbs that will effectively ban standard incandescent bulbs by 2014. The state Energy Commission, which has been at the forefront of demanding improved energy efficiency, has already set standards for everything from air conditioners to refrigerators. In recent years, it's begun to eye the consumer-electronics industry, setting rules for how much electricity can be consumed by power plugs and by devices in standby mode.

The growing concerns about both global warming and foreign fuel imports inevitably mean that there will be more standards to come. And tech gadgets are a fat target because they represent a big and growing portion of consumer electricity use.

Not only do we have more gadgets than ever in our homes and use them more often, but many of those gadgets aren't particularly efficient.