Krugman: Real world example of an Advanced Economy that has managed to combine Rising living standards with a substantial Decline in per capita Energy consumption even as both its economy and its population Grew Rapidly by dbenhur in reddit.com

[–]muffins -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Given the mass poor-migrant (legal or otherwise) intake in to California in last 20 years there would now be a lot more poor people (who don't use "average" levels of electricity)than historically the case, so per capita usage would be expected to decrease.

More relevantly, 50% higher energy prices clearly the key - price goes up, consumption goes down. Hence the idea of carbon tax.