Energy Lessons

Forest and Bird, Volume 20, Issue 4, 1 November 1989, Page 6

Energy Lessons

| N 1977 TWO US STATES, California and Texas, both took off in divergent directions with their energy policies. Texas decided to adopt a laissez-faire approach, in contrast to California where a policy with strict conservation controls was opted for. Everything from skyscrapers to pop up toasters had to meet approved energy efficiency standards. By 1984, the different approaches had resulted in: (1) the average Californian was using 267 kilowatt hours (kwh) fewer than in 1977, and the average Texan 1,424 kwh more; (2) California, with 11 percent of the US population and 12 percent of the income, consumed 8 percent of the country’s electricity; Texas, with 7 percent of both, consumed 9 percent; (3) in California 3.5 cents in every dollar were spent directly on energy — in Texas, 7.1 cents — and in terms of gross state product, Californians spent half as much; (4) in the seven years, California built three new power plants, Texas built 11. In New Zealand, Treasury has recently administered the pruning shears to a worthwhile energy efficiency programme for appliances run by the Government's Energy Management Group.