Yes, we know California is awesome.

Posted on Jun 9 2011 by Daniel

credit: José Antonio Galloso

Joe Romm, climate guy and the author of a very good book on Lean + Sustainability, has a thought provoking post on the role of energy efficiency in our carbon-reduction portfolio. It’s a decent read, but the following claims have me stumped:

In the past three decades, electricity per capita has stayed flat in Californian while it has risen 60% in the rest of the country. If all Americans had the same per capita electricity demand as Californians, we would cut electricity consumption 40%. And if all of America adopted the same energy efficiency policies that California is now putting in place, the country would never have to build another power plant.

Does anyone have any data to back this up?

Is it due to the higher cost of electricity in California?

Is the 60% increase everywhere else due to bigger houses, more gadgets, or something else?

Is it possible to achieve this type of per capita consumption in other parts of the country that may have much higher heating or cooling loads?

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Tags: california, efficiency, romm Category: Carbon, Energy, Policy

Bill Davis

I think it means that California has been wasting energy a lot longer than everyone else in the country. We’re all just catching up, and their flat energy consumption is due to high rates and insufficient generation, and no money to expand. It probably means that we’re all in for expensive electricity and brown-outs unless we institute change.
http://www.homeperformancenc.com Adrienne Bashista

I think it’s because California *is* better than the rest of of the country.
Maybe because of reduced heating/cooling loads – we recently visited a relative in San Francisco and he neither heats nor cools his apartment. But surely in So. Cal. they cool? And most folks use a little heat in San Francisco?
Anyway, interesting link. I’d also like to see that data.