The Times-Herald Record reports that New Yorkers consumed 17,312 gigawatt-hours of electricity this July -- the highest monthly usage on record. The previous record was 17,003 GWh in August 2005.

The New York Independent System Operator, the organization that manages the state's power grid, disclosed this startling statistic.  July energy usage deviates from the recent trend of lower power consumption, which is believed to be the result of both the economic downturn and a greater number of energy-efficiency initiatives.

Increased energy usage signifies more carbon-emissions, a phenomenon that contributes to New York State's growing carbon footprint. July's record energy usage demonstrates the urgent need to develop renewable energy sources to decrease the state's reliance on fossil fuels and thus its impact on global warming.