This summer's heat waves have generated record and near-record electricity consumption in California, Colorado, North Carolina and other areas, prompting energy officials to dust off and update energy conservation techniques designed to reduce the strain on the grid.

Not only can conservation help keep the lights on, the effort will also show up as a smaller utility bill.

California's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant was operating at half-capacity after one of its two nuclear reactors was pulled offline recently after diagnostics found a leak in an oil cooler pump. However, officials said the power drain and increased demand shouldn't cause brownouts, rolling blackouts or other interruptions in power. The announcement came even after the state consumed record levels of electricity for three days in a row.

California's Pacific Gas & Electric Co. offered some new and old tips residents can use in any home anywhere:

Published: July 29, 2004

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.