Imagine you're stranded in a scorching desert with one bottle of water and sand is the only sight for miles. Do you a) chug the water immediately until every drop is gone; b) carelessly leave the bottle lying in the sand; or c) conserve the water as best you can, every sip becoming more valuable?
Of course, "c" is the best answer. Anyone would be crazy not to conserve something of such great value and limited supply. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of just that when it comes to electricity.
The demand for energy has risen drastically during the past few years. According to the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC), U. S. electricity use will grow more than twice as fast as the resources needed to make it over the next 10 years - 30 percent by 2030, estimates the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This magnitude of increase is similar to adding four more Californias, 21 more Minnesotas, 2.5 more Texases or 13 more Kentuckys.
According to EIA, cooperatives need to add more than 22,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the next decade-a 50 percent increase over current capacity-to keep up with demand. Among electric cooperative consumers, demand growth is projected at about double the national average.
Why is our demand increasing? People are living in larger homes now than they did in the past and are using more electronic devices than ever before.
And America is not the only country with increasing demand. China and India are building power plants at a rapid pace, driving up the demand for fuels to generate electricity, specifically coal. China, who in the past has been a net exporter of coal, is now a net importer.
As demand for electricity rises, demand for fuels needed to make it (such as coal and natural gas) rises, and so do the prices of those fuels. In addition, as more utilities need extra power to supply their consumers, the prices of power on the market continue to escalate.
Southern Pine Electric Cooperative wants to help prevent your energy dollars-and our world's resources-from slipping away. You might not have direct control over fuel prices or worldwide demand, but you do have the power to control your electricity usage-and, as a result, your power bills. Your electric bill is based on how much power you use each month, so lowering your bill is easy. It's all about conservation.
That's why Southern Pine invites you to conserve and reduce your monthly household electric usage. You can achieve this goal by implementing simple, free or low-cost conservation methods in your home.
Contact our member services department and check out the energy efficiency tips on our web site to learn how little things you do can add up to big savings.
--Vince Johnson
General Manager