Earth Equity News

Arthur Rosenthal, Energy Conservation Gurus, Retires from California Energy Commission. By Marc Lifsher, LATimes, January 11, 2010. "When octogenarian Arthur H. Rosenfeld vacates his utilitarian office at the California Energy Commission this week, one of his final tasks might seem of little consequence: He'll turn off the lights. But that simple act -- some would say compulsion -- has transformed California into a world leader in energy efficiency. California homes are loaded with personal computers, widescreen TVs, iPods, PlayStations, air conditioners, massive refrigerators, hot tubs and swimming pool pumps. Despite that, Golden State residents today use about the same amount of electricity per capita that they did 30 years ago. For that, they can largely thank Rosenfeld... [who], starting in the 1970s, provided California energy regulators the data they needed to enact some of the toughest efficiency standards in the world. New homes and buildings were required to be better insulated and fitted with energy-wise lighting, heating and cooling systems. Appliances had to be designed to use less power. Utilities were forced to motivate their customers to use less electricity. The principle, Rosenfeld said, was simple: Conserving energy is cheaper and smarter than building power plants... These mandates have yielded about $30 billion annually in energy savings for California consumers. They've eliminated air pollution that's the equivalent of taking 100 million cars off the roads. They have been copied by states and countries worldwide. California's gains are so closely linked to Rosenfeld that they've been dubbed the Rosenfeld Effect in energy efficiency circles, where the 83-year-old has taken on rock star status."