Those funny lightbulbs

The cheapest kilowatt of new energy supply is the kilowatt you don't use.

With the perils of climate change figuring heavily in new local, state and federal policy, the reality is that we will have to pay more for energy. It's not cheap to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions of existing energy sources plus develop new forms of renewable energy and the infrastructure to support them — all while meeting the energy demands of a vibrant, growing Northwest economy.And those costs will be showing up in everything from toilet paper to canned goods to your local school levy. Got to keep those kids warm and hooked up to computers.

Already, people are making choices to conserve. This week, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council reported that energy consumers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana reduced their energy usage by an average of 200 megawatts. The target was 140.

That translates to enough energy to power 146,000 homes. That also works out to about 15 percent of the capacity of the state's lone coal plant or one-fifth of the capacity of the state's one nuclear plant.

Individuals are leading the charge. Most of the savings came from residential users — and about 60 percent of those savings is attributed to those funny-looking lightbulbs. Between 18.5 million and 19 million compact-fluorescent bulbs were purchased in the Northwest states last year.

The council estimates their use saves about 75 megawatts — enough energy to power a city the size of Port Angeles.

The Northwest benefits from an abundance of relatively cheap hydropower, the cost of which is about 1 cent per kilowatt-hour. Expansion of hydropower is not an option, but new energy sources will have to be developed as our region grows.

In 2007, the cost of new wind power came in at 7.5 cents a kilowatt-hour, and new gas at 6.3 cents.

In comparison with more expensive sources, investment to conserve energy, including public education and those funny lightbulbs, costs a mere 1.25 cents per kilowatt-hour.