Back to the future:
Reviving our powers
of conservation

As a child I can remember being taught the importance of conservation, not as a choice but as a necessity.

Back then we placed a high value on getting a long life from the resources and tools that made our lives better. There is simply no denying that since then we have morphed into a throwaway society that seems to place a questionable value on goods being temporary and easy to get rid of, rather than reusable.

It is time for a "back to the future" approach to conservation.

Regarding energy conservation, new and efficient technology helps. For example, we can save energy by using Energy Star household appliances, the smart designing and insulation of buildings, planting the right shade tree in the right place or transitioning to hybrid automobiles. The result of all these actions is energy conservation.

Government and Hawaiian Electric Co. have big roles in conserving energy. And indeed, through energy efficiency programs established by the state Public Utilities Commission HECO and our customers have saved 34 megawatts of power since 1996. That's about the size of a small power plant. (The garbage-to-energy plant known as HPower produces 40-46 megawatts.) These efforts demonstrate that energy conservation remains the quickest and cheapest way to reduce the growing need for power.

But I'd like Hawaii to consider taking another step in which each resident can play a part. Every family needs to go back to the conservation ethic and reduce their use of electricity at home, especially between the hours of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Last month, the use of electricity by residential customers on Oahu was 5.9 percent higher than August 2003. One of the reasons is that there are more residential customers. Another is that families are using more electricity for everything from computers to air conditioners.

And because families get home on weekday evenings, their use contributes to the electrical peak. This peak hit an all time consumer high on Sept. 8, a little after 7 p.m. That's not cause for celebration. We'd like to keep down the use of electricity at peak hours, either by eliminating some uses of power or deferring them to another time.

Communities should think of energy conservation as a resource option -- a way that everyone can help Hawaii match its demand for power with the supply through wiser use. Commit to an action as small as using compact fluorescent light bulbs to as large as getting a solar water heater.

Choose your level of involvement by going to heco.com. Take the Home Energy Check to tailor specific actions that are best for you or go to "Energy Tips and Choices" (under residential services) for general conservation steps. And you might want to mark your calendars for Oct. 16 when HECO will combine fun, entertainment and energy conservation in the commemoration of American Energy Awareness Month at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

HECO recognizes that customers need good, easily accessible information, along with friendly reminders and incentives when possible to help families make the best choices in using energy. We are now talking to groups of residential customers to find out how we can improve our conservation communication. We're determined to make improvements.

Meanwhile, let's remember that conservation in general --whether it's for power, water or recycling -- can be a good way to save money, help the environment and do the right thing.