Energy crisis seen for tech

The nation’s biggest technology companies sat down with federal regulators Wednesday to assess the industry’s thirst for power amid fears that volatile and expensive energy could hinder the growing sector.

“I think we may be at the beginning of a potential energy crisis for the IT sector,” Victor Varney, a vice president for Silicon Graphics, told the regulators. “It’s clearly coming.”

Already, local companies are adjusting growth plans, and data centers have moved out of California for more stable power supplies, he said.

Google’s Bill Weihl, who works with energy strategy engineering and operations, countered that the crisis isn’t upon the industry yet but is possible in the next five to 10 years if adequate and reliable energy supplies are not ensured.

The U.S. Department of Energy, which measures power use in various industries, hopes to learn from the companies, and to design guidelines for building efficient facilities and technology, said Andrew Karsner, assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy for the department. He also is considering eventually auditing energy use in technology facilities, much like the department’s audits of steel and paper plants.

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