The average energy consumption for each person in Ontario dropped 4.6% from 2005 – 2007, according to a Toronto Star article. What’s interesting is the article also says,

Ontario’s total consumption fell by 2.6 per cent to 150,8906 gigawatt hours

Note: The above quote is verbatim, but I’m assuming one of the last four digits in the gigawatt-hour figure shouldn’t be there.

The only way I can rationalize the personal drop in consumption being twice the overall average is if business and industry have reduced their consumption very little, if any. This is disappointing because I can imagine large organizations could enact simple measures to make a significant difference. For example, what’s with large office buildings that have their interior lights on 24 hours a day despite few or no people working at night?

Chris Winter, head of the Conservation Council of Ontario is quoted as saying about the provincial government,

At what point do they get the message that people prefer conservation to coal, nuclear or other dirty power?

He seems to be talking about conservation as opposed to new coal or nuclear plants, but his words don’t make this clear. Shutting down our existing coal and nuclear stations will make concervation blissfully easy because we won’t have nearly enough power left for our needs even after our best try at conserving.

Hat tip to Alan.