Power Users’ Conservation Confirmed
Even without rolling blackouts and daily reports of an overtaxed power grid, Californians are cutting back on their electricity use, according to a report released Wednesday by the California Energy Commission.
Adjusting the figures to account for a cool July, and rejecting suggestions that demand for electricity dropped because of a slowing economy, the commission reported that last month Californians cut their overall power use by 5% compared with July 2000.
The commission also found that during late afternoon, when demand for power peaks across the state, residents used 11% less electricity this July than last. For most Californians, energy rates this year are far higher than in 2000, giving residents and businesses a strong incentive to save power by cutting use and joining special rebate programs set up to benefit those who use less energy.
The California Independent System Operator, which manages the electrical transmission grid that serves most of the state, reported two days of energy emergencies last month, when demand exceeded 40,000 megawatts. Last year, there were six emergency days in July.
Gov. Gray Davis used the occasion of the report’s release to praise Californians for their conservation efforts. He also reiterated his regular criticism of out-of-state power companies, which he said continue to “feather their nests with our hard-earned dollars.”
Despite the encouraging report, Davis and his advisors warned Californians to remain vigilant about cutting power use throughout the summer.
“The guns of August are trained at us, and if we don’t continue our conservation efforts, we could still get in trouble,” said S. David Freeman, former chief engineer of Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power and now an energy advisor to the governor.
Freeman cautioned that although current forecasts call for mild weather, the best predictions only peer a week or so into the future.
In addition to the power savings brought about by private citizens turning off lights and trading in old appliances for newer, more efficient models, advisors to the governor lauded the major businesses that agreed to try to cut power use by 20%.
Wally Maguire, a conservation specialist for Davis, said businesses practicing conservation measures such as turning off outdoor lighting are being surprised by savings beyond their expectations. Maguire also said state and local government buildings have cut their use 28%.
Although some critics have suggested that California’s reduced energy consumption is largely the result of the slower economy--and, with it, the closing of energy-intensive businesses in Silicon Valley--advisors to Davis disputed that contention.
“We are seeing just the same numbers in the residential as we are in business,” Freeman said. “So this so-called downturn is not a significant factor.”
Maguire said energy consumption could be reduced long after the current crisis is over, as residents and businesses recognize how much money they save by paying closer attention to their electricity bills.
“Conservation can actually grow over the years,” he said.
