10/07/2005: "Energy Conservation Depends on All of Us"
Restoration of full power is clearly on the minds of people living in Gulf Coast communities and those who reside in Western Louisiana and Eastern Texas. The workers who will make that happen are undoubtedly laboring feverishly to accomplish that task.
While electricity is still flowing freely in areas of the country not affected by recent hurricanes, energy conservation could soon become a topic of growing interest to all of us.
Each year during the month of October, the US Department of Energy focuses on energy awareness through its Federal Energy Management Program. The purpose is to promote energy-saving practices at federal facilities. The concept is worthy of even broader application across the country, particularly given the severe disruptions of energy supplies we have recently experienced.
With winter approaching and the anticipated higher heating bills, along with continued elevated gasoline prices, President Bush and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman have taken steps to elicit the participation of everyone in saving energy. To do so, they announced this week a comprehensive national campaign to encourage Americans to reduce energy demands both at home and at work. Joining them in promoting the campaign is Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. A major part of the effort is educating consumers, industries, and federal agencies about the various ways to reduce energy use and how such action can result in savings.
Prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the anticipated energy expenditures across the US for 2005 were approximately $1.08 trillion; that’s right—trillion. This amount is up some 24% from last year, and represents about 8.7% of the nation’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). That’s the largest share that energy has occupied of the GDP since 1985, when it was 10.4%.
Over the next few months, as the devastation caused by the hurricanes is evaluated and supply issues continue to linger, it is likely that total energy costs across the country for this year will rise well beyond the original estimate.
The primary energy resources consumed in the Lone Star State are petroleum, natural gas, and coal. Texans clearly are in love with their vehicles, and transportation usage of energy represents about 22% of the total energy consumed in the state. While the per capita consumption of petroleum for transportation increased by an average of only 0.2% from 1980 to 2001, the total amount required to meet the needs of the expanding population grew at a much faster pace.
According to recent data released by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, more than half of Texas energy demands come from industry. Residential and commercial use account for about 13% and 11%, respectively.
With regard to consumption of electricity, residential use has been climbing fairly steadily over the past few years as the population has continued to increase. Alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass, along with expansion of hydrogen technology research, will undoubtedly prove helpful in generating electricity in the future, especially as more people migrate into Texas. Nonetheless, it is doubtful that these sources will meet a substantial portion of future needs, and, even with conservation new sources of energy will be needed.
Saving energy can be challenging, but some measures are relatively simple. October could be an appropriate time to evaluate how we can be personally involved in accomplishing this objective. Adopting the theme for Energy Awareness Month—Not in Use? Turn Off the Juice!—and putting it into practice might be a good start.