The world is getting warmer and sea levels are rising as the impact of the global climate crisis makes it important to know what can be done about them.
Curtailing energy use, especially wasteful consumption, is considered a top priority while clean power alternatives remain under development.
New Jersey ranks 40 on a list of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia in average household consumption.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. residential customer uses approximately 909 kWh per month of energy, or around 10,909 kWh per year.
On average, residents in the East South Central region of the United States, including Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, use the most electricity.
While aside from Alaska and Hawaii, homes in New England use the least amount of electricity.
On average, the typical American uses 41% of their energy on space heating, and 35% on appliances, electronics and lighting.
However, not all states within the United States consume energy in the same way.
The average monthly household electricity consumption in Louisiana is 38.87% greater than the national average.
Top-ranking Pelican State users consume 1,273 kWh per month, and the cost of Louisiana electricity rates rank 51st in the nation.
In New Jersey, average household energy bills are among the highest in the country and consumers typically use about 687 kWh per month.
Nearly half of the energy used in New Jersey homes goes towards heating costs.
Louisiana has low electricity prices, 28 percent below the national average. This affordability has been aided by the state’s rejection of expensive regulations that would increase the price of electricity.
Almost half of Louisiana’s electricity is generated from natural gas, while coal provides about a quarter of the state’s electricity. The state’s two single-reactor nuclear power plants produce most of the rest of the state’s electricity.
New Jersey has some of the most expensive electricity prices in the United States.
The Garden State typically receives more than half of its electricity from nuclear power, while natural gas meets almost a third of the state’s demand.
Though the state reportedly has significant wind energy potential, wind makes a negligible contribution to New Jersey’s electricity supply.
New Jersey has three nuclear power plants. One of those, the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, first came online in 1969 and is the oldest operating nuclear power plant in the United States.
New Jersey has no fossil fuel reserves, so its natural gas arrives through pipelines from Pennsylvania, while coal is shipped to the state from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
New Jersey caps greenhouse gas emissions and requires utilities to sell 22.5 percent of electricity sales of electricity from renewable sources.
It should come as no surprise to most people that the United States as a country is the world’s biggest electricity consumer when it comes to energy use per capita, so Americans accept the obligation to consume energy in more responsible ways.
Regulations and higher-pricing clearly have an impact on use, as evidenced by the comparison between New Jersey and Louisiana.
Transformation from a fossil fuel economy to one powered by clean renewable energy sources will result in social benefits as well as environmental necessities.
Anyone who cares about justice and survival should make that a priority.