Are you ready for green TV?

Flat-panel TVs, especially plasma TVs, consume a good deal of power—perhaps more than your fridge, as we found when we tested the power consumption of a range of TV types recently. But how much do you care about that?

We ask because some TV manufacturers, when they gather at events like the Consumer Electronics Show, say that energy consumption and other green considerations aren't yet a high-priority concern for a critical mass of consumers. And that, they say, makes them reluctant to compromise on attributes that are clear consumer priorities, like low prices and bright screens, in order to boost greenness.

Yet greener computers and monitors have entered the market. Why? In part because the federal government buys millions of those products every year and insists that 95 percent of them meet environmental standards set by EPEAT—the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool. The standards stipulate that desktops, laptops, and monitors contain fewer toxins like lead and mercury, be Energy Star-qualified, and contain recyclable or reusable parts, among other criteria. Some of the greener models developed to meet EPEAT's stipulations are available to consumers, too; the program's website has a searchable list.

Currently, EPEAT standards are being considered for TVs. But since the Feds don't buy many TVs, the incentive to create the standards wouldn't be there the way it is for computers. Our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, believe it will be key to have other big purchasers and retailers engage in the development of the standards.

Of course, the biggest driver in all of this is you, the consumer. Are greener TVs on your radar? Would you trade off other attributes, like screen size or price, to get a greener set? Tell us what you think.