Keywords

Abstract

California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32) mandates that the longstanding pattern of ever-increasing energy consumption from fossil fuels be summarily reversed. How this is to be accomplished is still largely an open question. This paper focuses on California's success in achieving relatively stable per capita energy usage within the context of a growing population and a vibrant economy. Using publicly available historical data, the authors raise a number of questions about the extent to which estimates of savings from utility energy efficiency programs and state building and appliance standards, can fully account for the state's ability to hold per capita electricity consumption relatively stable. Focusing on the residential sector, they point to a number of other characteristics that could have contributed to California's relatively stable per capita electricity consumption.

Paper

Download this paper as pdf: 8_733.pdf

Panels of the 2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Residential Buildings: Technologies, Design, Performance Analysis, and Building Industry Trends

Residential Buildings: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Commercial Buildings: Technologies, Design, Performance Analysis, and Building Industry Trends

Commercial Buildings: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Utility Regulation, Strategies, and Policies

Market Transformation: Taking Efficiency Mainstream

Human and Social Dimensions of Energy Use: Trends and their Implications

Energy and Environmental Policy: Planning for Greater Impacts

Strategies for Appliances, Lighting, Electronics, and Miscellaneous End–Uses

Visions of the Future: Big New Ideas for Energy Efficiency

Sustainable Communities: Systems Integration at the Community Scale