Not sure we want to talk about energy security but I did a little refresh over the weekend on what the energy consumption is to power the IT world and I think we have a heard numbers like 10% all in now (that is everything from the data center to the mobile network cells to the desk tops in your homes). I had a look at a few reports including the total electricity production in the US last year. If we use $30/MWh (as a wholesale rate/bulk power cost) the average price to power the IT industry in the US is around $12 trillion in energy costs.
40% of the US total annual energy is powered by coal. I thought it was less. A large percentage is being displaced by Natural Gas as the largest growth fuel source. So the carbon footprint to power IT is huge. POET's importance to make a difference cannot be overstated when considering that the ultimate near term solution to the planets health is the build out of nuclear and Rainer can tell you how much those cost to build.
