The power consumption may be ok or even improving for Ubuntu, but I know for sure that it does not like resuming from or going into hibernation on my HP NC4010. I've never been able to do it successfully.

"With the past six Ubuntu releases we had tested the power consumption of a Lenovo laptop when running from its AC charger and off the battery, when the system was idling and then again under load. We had also monitored the temperature of the Intel Centrino mobile processor."