Good news recently in the efforts to gradually improve consumers’ energy efficiency:

Ever since the recession, Americans have been driving less, getting fewer licenses, and using less gas. … All of these changes have something intriguing in common: They started well before the financial crisis and recession. The number of cars per household peaked in 2005. Miles-per-driver peaked in 2004, as so did gas use. (The Atlantic)

The average amount of electricity consumed in U.S. homes has fallen to levels last seen more than a decade ago, back when the smartest device in people’s pockets was a Palm pilot and anyone talking about a tablet was probably an archaeologist or a preacher. (Associated Press)

The annual cost to charge an iPad is just $1.36, according to the Electric Power Research Institute, a non-profit research and development group funded by electric utilities. By comparison, a 60-watt compact fluorescent bulb costs $1.61, a desktop PC adds up to $28.21 and a refrigerator runs you $65.72 in the U.S. (Huffington Post)

While we are unlikely to remove the need for centralized power plants, it seems like reducing energy consumption even further is possible. By responsibly designing products and implementing a distributed network of renewable energy production, it could be possible to reduce our energy consumption even more.