Oakville sees 2.2 per cent power reduction during Earth Hour

Not Oakville's worst showing for Earth Hour, but not its best either

Inhalton.com
April 4, 2019
David Lea

Oakville Hydro reports that during Earth Hour (Saturday, March 30), the demand for electricity in Oakville dropped by 2.2 per cent.

Officials said that this is the equivalent of turning off 255,000 light bulbs.

“Council and I want to thank all Oakville residents who participated in Earth Hour to achieve these impressive results,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton.

“We encourage residents to continue finding ways to reduce their energy use in their daily lives. Together we’re creating a cleaner, greener town.”

The reduction is not quite as good as 2018’s results, which saw a power drop of 3.2 per cent.

The year before (2017), Oakville saw a power reduction of 3.65 per cent.

The year before that, the town saw a power cut of 3.7 per cent.

This year’s number was not as bad as Oakville’s worst Earth Hour showing -- a 1.6 per cent power reduction in 2015 -- but not nearly as good as results in 2009, when the town saw energy demand drop by 13.3 per cent.

Oakville’s first Earth Hour effort achieved a respectable 8.2 per cent reduction in 2008.

Oakville Hydro President and CEO Rob Lister said that the conservation efforts displayed on Saturday night by Oakville residents is one step in lowering energy consumption across the town on a daily basis.

“Our focus and commitment to sustainability and working to build Oakville as a ‘green’ community is further supported by Oakville residents who embraced Earth Hour,” said Lister.

“I’m proud of Oakville’s participation in the annual event and hope that we all continue to strive to reduce our environmental footprint and electricity consumption in the Town of Oakville all year long.”
Earth Hour is a worldwide movement that the World Wildlife Fund started in 2007, with a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia; since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide.

The one-hour event, which lasts from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., continues to symbolize the larger effort to combat climate change.

For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.