The last major upgrade of the region’s electric transmission infrastructure took place 30 years ago. Since then, not only has the population has grown, home sizes have nearly doubled, and appliance and electronic device usage have increased exponentially. The result: Energy usage has soared. In fact, in its Annual Energy Outlook 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy projects electricity consumption will increase 1 percent annually from 2008 to 2035, despite energy conservation efforts.

For example, in 2007, the average household has 25 consumer electronic products – computers, DVD players, video game consoles, digital cameras and high-definition televisions.   [continues]