Northwest Is Producing More With Less Electricity
The region's economy is growing faster than the rest of the nation, but using less electricity
- March 11, 2016
- Carol Winkel
In a recent analysis of regional economic trends, Council economist Massoud Jourabchi described the Northwest economy as becoming increasingly more productive while using less electricity.
Data on electricity sales and loads, utility revenues, and average prices over the past several years indicates that while the economy and employment have returned to pre-recessionary levels, electricity sales continue to be flat. Since 2010, regional employment has increased by over 363,000 and electricity retail sales have remained around 19,600 average megawatts per year.
The data reflect a long-term trend captured in the following graphs: