Demanding less makes powerful sense

I’m responding to “The Gospel According to Jerry” [“Power to the People,” March 7]. The folks who are proposing conservation measures instead of a 130-megawatt oil-burning power plant in Woodfin are not “eco-freaks who live in mud huts, … read by oil lamps” or “want to go back to the Stone Age.” We are ordinary people who are aware that global warming is upon us, and in order to avert climate disaster, we need to cut fossil-fuel use by at least 50 percent in the next 10 years.

When are we going to start? We are aware that, with worldwide oil demand soaring and supplies starting to decline, now is the time for conservation and alternatives. We know that polluting our air with another power plant hurts tourism and compromises our health. We believe our county commissioners need to listen to the will of the people, not make backroom deals.

It isn’t hard to conserve 130 MW. ComVerge is a company that is actually working with Progress Energy in Florida to trim peak demand in very sensible ways, such as monitoring loads at big commercial users. When demand is highest, such as on hot days, dispatchers can slightly reduce electricity consumption by changing thermostats a degree or two. Incentives can be offered for those who defer tasks requiring electricity (like laundry) until evening, when electric demand is lower. Just changing light bulbs to compact fluorescents can save three-fourths of the energy needed for lighting; LEDs [light-emitting diodes] save even more. Inexpensive, low-flow showerheads save hot water, hence energy. The more we reduce the “base load,” the less need there is for peaking-power plants.