Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : Strictly: Drilling and oil-field services -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Think4Yourself who wrote (71238)	8/20/2000 9:52:08 PM
From: isopatch	Respond to of 95453

Excerp from Paul Kelly (an RDC VP) in 8/20/00 Houston Chronicle focusing on the impact of the explosion in internet usage on secular growth in electricity demand. "New studies indicate that since 1997, U.S. annual electricity demand has accelerated from 1.5 percent to 3 percent. Of course, a strong U.S. economy has contributed to a substantial portion of this growth, but it is eye-opening to realize that the largest single driver behind resurgent electricity demand has been Internet and computer-related demand. In 1998, the Internet consumed a staggering 8 percent of total U.S. power consumption. If computer peripherals are added, this number swells to almost 13 percent of total 1998 U.S. power consumption. This is an incredible growth rate, given that the Internet accounted for almost no power consumption a decade ago. It is safe to assume that combined Internet and computer-related electric demand now accounts for well over 15 percent of total electricity demand. According to Washington, D.C.-based Cyveillance, the Internet currently consists of 2.1 billion unique, publicly available pages. At its current growth rate of 7.3 million new pages a day, the Internet will again double in size sometime in 2001. Cable modems, digital subscriber lines, optical networking infrastructures, 3G wireless, Internet gaming consoles, NetTVs, Web terminals, e-mail terminals, screen phones and other devices are all "new economy" power consumers, the likes of which the U.S. power grid has never seen. As we look ahead, what do we see but more traffic, more routers, more servers and more electricity consumption. By one estimate, Internet traffic is expected to increase by over 30 times today's existing loads in the next four years." The rest of the article is also interesting and worth a look. chron.com Isopatch