Energy Use
Per Capita Energy Use Higher than in California
Why is it important?
Energy use per capita in the Sierra Nevada tends to be higher than California’s urban areas due to a greater need for heating in the winter, air conditioning in portions of the Sierra Nevada in the summer, and transportation between remote communities. This occurs despite electricity exports as shown in the energy production indicator.
How are we doing?
Average residential electricity consumption in the North and South Central Sierra has risen substantially—more than 20 percent in the last four years reported. This may be due to the increasing number of second homes in the region, which adds use without increasing permanent population. In the North Central Sierra, nonresidential electricity usage per customer is the highest in the region, although no Sierra Nevada subregion had average nonresidential use as high as in California.
