Conservation Slams Into Reality

There are limits to what energy conservation can do. No matter how much conservation New York City's local government engages in - from buying only high efficiency refrigerators, computers, cars, and buses to replacing traffic lights with high efficiency LED units, NYC is a leading example of energy conservation in the nation.

Problem is, no matter how much we conserve, we're behind the energy demand curve. And we fall further and further behind because of increased demand overall. The energy conservation is a stop-gap measure until new energy sources are brought online.

So that means that the Indian Point nuclear power plants aren't going anywhere anytime soon. And the need to build new power generation facilities in and near NYC is still a daunting necessity.

Efficiency is actually a grim necessity in New York. Despite efforts at conservation, demand for electricity in the city has been increasing by 1.5 percent a year; there simply is not enough room to build all the additional power plants that would be needed to meet unlimited demand for energy. Use has to be curtailed, and the city feels it has to lead by example.

Though the savings represent just a portion of the 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity the entire city uses in a year, the innovation and ease of the efficiency measures have attracted attention. New York's energy diet is based on a simple formula - a blend of local legislation, state assistance and an awareness of the city's own position as an 800-pound gorilla in the energy market.

Energy use is a curious thing. It's a sign of economic growth and opportunity. It's a sign that the city is growing. The NYC Metro area got a grim respite in the four years since 9/11 since the WTC complex, with its 10 million square feet of office space off the grid when it was destroyed in the terrorist attacks. We're now beginning to see increased demand on energy and new office space will be built to replace the 10 million square feet lost in the terror attacks. That 10 million square feet is equivalent to rebuilding all of downtown Cincinnati.

There is simply no margin for error and the energy conservation masks that fact. Per capita use of energy may be declining, but the population is increasing, and energy demands in the workplace are increasing as more electronic equipment finds its way onto office desks, home offices, and into residences in general.