Per Capita Energy Use Has Been Unchanged For 40 Years

For all the moaning from the political class about how the masses waste energy one would think energy use rose every year like health care cost or college tuition, two things that can be traced to policy decision of the political class. Not so. Per capita energy use is about the same as when James Earl Carter was president. There are a number of reasons for this and none of them have to do with banning the incandescent bulb. There has been a population shift toward warmer climates which somehow makes one wonder about the real cost of global warming. Many home appliances use electronic as opposed to the older mechanical controls. Also the country has gutted its manufacturing base and there is no need to light empty and abandoned factories.