Energy Watchdog Issues Warning over Household Gadgets

The International Energy Agency is out with a report issuing a cautionary note about the rise in energy consumption from new electronic gadgets like computers, TVs, iPods and other mobile devices. The IEA, a Paris-based, intergovernmental energy watchdog, estimates that worldwide electricity usage will triple over the next two decades -- and points to the rapid proliferation of consumer household electronics and new technology as the primary culprit.

The implications of these projections are tremendous. If consumption continues as is, carbon emissions from household gadgets alone will amount to roughly one billion tons of CO2 by 2030. Then there's the question of how we're going to come up with all this electricity.

The IEA and other experts attribute this trend to the growth of electronics in developing or underdeveloped countries. In Africa, they point out, "one in nine people now has a mobile phone." One policy analyst notes that consumer electronics are the fastest growing area of energy consumption -- and "it's the area with the least amount of policies in place."

Our recent survey, the Energy Learning Curve, got to the heart of some tricky areas of energy policy. Should we be focusing our efforts on conserving or finding alternative sources? Or both? Should the government get involved by imposing energy efficiency requirements?

Three-quarters (74 percent) of survey respondents said they bought a household appliance or electronics, such as a TV or stereo, based on its energy rating. And residential energy use (which includes not just electricity but also heating and cooling) takes up about one-fifth of the nation's total energy pie.

As far as alternative energy sources go, Americans are all for it -- and willing to pay. Six in ten Americans said they would be willing to pay more for electricity generated by renewable sources, like solar or wind energy (21 percent said "very willing" and 39 percent said "somewhat willing"). And half (50 percent) said they would be willing to pay higher taxes to fund the development of alternative energy sources. The fact that half the public can't name a renewable energy source, however, raises questions on how firm this support is.

Perhaps most remarkably, three-quarters (77 percent) said they agree (34 percent said "strongly agree" and 43 percent said "somewhat agree") that electric companies should be required to generate more energy from renewable, non-polluting energy sources, like wind and solar -- even if this increases the cost of energy in the short run. However, over half (56 percent) of the public opposes requiring a surcharge on the utility bills of homes and businesses that exceed monthly limits on energy usage.

For more on this topic, check out the Energy Information Administration's primer on how electricity is transmitted and priced. And be sure to visit Planet Forward, our innovative, new viewer-driven initiative on the energy crisis.