The only region in North America that expects a decrease in power consumption is Ontario and it’s all thanks to energy conservation initiatives. This is really great because it proves that energy efficiency policies can make a difference in how much energy is required to power a growing economy.
What’s even better is that decrease in overall energy consumption will mean that the money that went to paying for electricity can be spent elsewhere, which should in theory propel the economy even further.
“This isn’t because economies aren’t growing and our population is not growing, and it isn’t because people aren’t buying things,†says Chuck Farmer, director of planning policy and approvals with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA).
“It’s really because the growth is being offset by energy efficiency in one form or another and I think that’s quite a success story.”
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In Ontario, meanwhile, electricity demand growth has declined since reaching a peak in 2005. And now, winter demand has slipped in negative (-0.34 per cent) territory, with summer demand predicted to barely move at 0.07 per cent.