Conservation push worth three power plants

States across the country are turning to conservation methods to ease demand for electricity. California hopes to save enough power to prevent the ened to construct three power plants, but not everybody is buying it:

"Some consumers hate it," concedes Art Rosenfeld of the California Energy Commission, which in December approved stricter energy-efficiency standards for more than 20 products, including DVD players, televisions, and light bulbs. But he says these items will pay for themselves in a few years, and then "you're laughing all the way to the bank."

For states, the benefits of stricter standards tend to outweigh the risks of annoying consumers.