A couple power plants that didn’t need to be built? That’s progress!
Add comment March 26th, 2006
London, Ontario is eyeing energy success in California.
as reported by The London Free Press…
California energy commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld and Steven McCarty of Pacific Gas and Electric, the state’s largest privately owned utility, were in Toronto last week telling how their state had achieved remarkable success in energy conservation.The savings translated into two large generation stations that didn’t need to be built and soon will mean a third station won’t go up.
As guests of the Sierra Club of Canada, the Californians listed policies that include rebates for consumers of compact fluorescent light bulbs at point of purchase, not via a coupon that has to be mailed in.
Other policies include:
- Cash incentives to buy energy-efficient refrigerators, accompanied by a nominal cash payment for the old refrigerator.
- Signing up consumers for a lower electricity rate, on the condition that their air conditioning may be shut off on 24 hours’ notice during peak periods of heat.
- A program to paint home roofs white because they absorb less heat.
- Rigorous building codes to maximize buildings’ energy efficiency.
Steps toward a smaller footprint.
The government, Eskom and light-bulb manufacturer Osram will be providing 5 million energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to households affected by power outages in Cape Town.