We’re lucky that here in California we have utilities that are serious about helping us be energy efficient. For the past 30-years per capita energy use in California has remained relatively constant. But this has not been the case in the rest of the country. In that same 30 years per capita energy use in the U.S. has increased by almost 40%. Half of that energy is being produced by coal-burning power plants that also contribute to acid rain and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.  

And even though California’s per person energy use is fairly level our population is growing. This means that overall our energy use is rising, putting pressure on existing energy supplies. During hot summer months our demand sometimes threatens to exceed our capacity. There are several days each summer when utilities have to ask businesses to shut down portions of their operations in order to avoid rolling blackouts throughout the state.

There’s another reason we can’t pat ourselves on the back just yet. While we’re doing better than the rest of the U.S., Californians still use 2x as much energy as the average European. Meanwhile surveys show Europeans have a better quality of life. Even if this isn’t directly related to their environmental practices, their efficient resource use paired with their high standard of living shows you really can do more with less. Living sustainably doesn’t mean sacrificing.

There are all sorts of ways for us to use energy more efficiently – ranging from actions as simple as turning out unneeded lights, to practical investments like replacing old refrigeration systems.