New Daylight Saving Time not so bright an idea

…Back in 1974 and 1975, America extended the DST to ten months and eight months respectively. The Department of Transportation concluded that doing so saved the equivalent of 10,000 barrels of oil each day. California Energy Commission tabulated that at a savings of about one percent per day.

Then in 1986, President Ronald Reagan tacked on April to DST, which, according to Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission (CEM), “is estimated to save nationwide about 300,000 barrels of oil each year.”

However, a report just released [PDF] from Dr. Adrienne Kandal, with the CEM’s Demand Analysis Office, had a different take on the extended DST. At best, she said, we might enjoy half a percentage in energy savings. But there’s a 25% chance we’ll see a very small increase in electricity use.

Specifically, she wrote: “If people do maintain their daily schedules then spring and fall Daylight Saving Time extensions would probably cause a 2 to 5% drop in the evening peak load. Meanwhile, morning electricity use would grow some, but probably not enough to offset evening savings.”

“The net effect is small and uncertain: A best guess of total net energy savings is on the order of half of one percent, but savings could just as well be zero. Moreover, our statistical analysis leaves us with one chance in four there could be a very small increase in electricity use.”

InfoWorld