Energy Officials are Seeing an Upward Trend for Power Use

Consumers are power hungry in Orange County and across California.

We use four times more electricity per person than Brazil by indulging in energy-sucking products such as plasma TVs, computers, air-conditioning systems, stereos, spare refrigerators and spas.

“We’re more device-oriented than ever,” said Scott Samuelsen, head of the Advanced Power and Energy Program at UC Irvine.

Few people, especially among the gadget-oriented generations, stop and ask: How much do I use? Am I wasting any?

Maybe more would if they considered the numbers: During the 2001 energy crisis, Californians stepped up and saved about 3,000 megawatts on hot summer days. That’s enough to power nearly 2.3 million homes for a day, according to the California Independent System Operator, or Cal-ISO, which controls 75 percent of the state power grid.

But electricity consumption is ratcheting up again, while conservation efforts appear to be sliding, energy officials say.

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