PORTLAND, Ore. — Last year was a record year for energy conservation in the Pacific Northwest.
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council says the energy saved was equivalent to the electricity used by 146,000 homes.
The 200 average megawatts saved in 2007 marked a record gain in a steady series of energy efficiency improvements the Pacific Northwest has been making since 1978, officials said.
Overall, the region has saved about 3,700 average megawatts in the last 30 years, or enough power for all of Idaho and western Montana.
New energy efficiency standards for major appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers should help save even more electricity in the future, said Bill Booth, chairman of the regional council that oversees energy development and conservation in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington state.
“Consumers are struggling with energy prices that seem to never stop rising, but here is some good news,” Booth said.
The efficiency efforts pay off in lower electric bills and help the environment, he said.
The Northwest Power Act approved by Congress in 1980 made energy conservation the top priority for meeting demand for power in the region.
The cost of efficiency improvements remains two to three times less expensive than the cost of building new power plants fueled by natural gas or coal, according to the Portland-based council.
The 2007 report on energy conservation was released this week at a council meeting in Walla Walla.
The annual survey reports on conservation achievements by individual groups — residential, commercial, industrial, agriculture and irrigation and low-income weatherization programs.
The largest savings were in the residential sector, and the largest contribution to that savings came from compact fluorescent light bulbs.
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