Best of the ISP-Lists

Are Colocation Sites Running Out of Power?

Members of the ISP-Colo list discuss rumors that some data centers face a dearth of electric power.

On the ISP-Colo list in November, MF queried,

"I've heard that colo facilities in the major markets are running out of power; I've actually seen a data center in Santa Clara with 50,000 square feet of unusable space due to lack of power. Is this true across the country?"

BW noted that this situation makes the colo personnel look pretty silly:

"Who didn't do their research on power stations before they built? I would hope that person is looking for a new job. I mean, that's the very first thing to look at—how much power there is today, and whether there's enough for your expected growth in the future when you're at full capacity."

Some respondents blamed environmentalists for the problem:

[RK noted] "In major markets like Detroit, Chicago, New York, most of California, there is a power shortage. The utilities never anticipated the PC boom. It's the environmentalist movement that's blocked the construction of new power plants, and the Clinton/Gore administration being friendly towards the environmentalist viewpoint that power plants are evil."

[CF agreed] "Sure, people have an environmental impact, but we have to let them live. The amount of water that comes out of my kitchen faucet and the amount of crap that goes down my toilet is controlled by the enviro-nuts. Now we can't get onto the Internet because of them? It is getting aggravating. Everyone has problems, no one has solutions."

Others took a more balanced view:

[RB contended] "Limiting the construction of new power plants is a long-term energy policy stretching back to the late eighties. I don't think it's correct to lay the blame at the door of one administration. The decision to limit power construction isn't just a Federal matter. It is also a state PUC matter, and the PUCs have been pushing for demand management rather than expanding supply.

We need more power, but global warming is a reality. It is a tricky situation; no easy answers and no obvious scapegoats."

[TD observed] "Water, electricity, and gasoline are three of the cheapest resources to purchase; their current price does not reflect potential future scarcity, or, as we move to hydroelectric and other renewable resources, potential environmental impact.

I don't pretend to have a solution, but blindly building more power plants isn't it, any more than infinitely expanding waste dumps is a solution to trash disposal.

Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration has a summary of power generation capacity by type and by resource at:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/ipp/ipp_sum.html."

—End