Californians Cut Back Energy Consumption

N E W   Y O R K, Aug. 24 -- A funny thing happened on the way to California's dreaded summer blackouts. They didn't occur.

The country's most populous state, bedeviled by rolling blackouts and soaring utility prices in the spring, has turned the corner in its struggle to keep the power on — mostly because consumers seem to have been turning off their lights and appliances a lot more than they were in the past.

According to the California Energy Commission, the state's electricity use in 2001, compared to the previous year, declined by 11 percent in May, 12 percent in June and 5 percent in July. Observers agree that the stunning reduction is at the heart of California's improved energy outlook, along with a more modest increase in the supply.

"Energy saving is the biggest reason why we haven't had a single blackout," says Bill Magavern, a senior lobbyist for the Sierra Club, adding: "People are shutting off lights and appliances when they're not in use. Sales of energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs are way up."

Economic Incentives or Ethic of Conservation?

There's one catch, though: While everyone accepts that Californians have reduced their energy consumption, not everyone agrees about the reasons for the cutback — at least apart from the cooler-than-normal summer weather. And it's not clear yet what proportion of the reduction has been from private residences, as opposed to commercial buildings.

One important factor seems to be a measure by the state legislature lifting a cap on retail prices for electricity, which went into effect in June and has given consumers a good bottom-line reason to conserve.

But environmental advocates — and, to an extent, the state officials who have spent $800 million implementing and publicizing programs to reduce energy consumption — say people are already more readily disposed to conservation than is usually assumed.

Lifting the retail price limits, notes Magavern, "has got to be a factor, but it's interesting to note we had as big a reduction in May as in June."