Perhaps I was just in a bad mood, or tired, or bored, or who knows what, but I thought this was the most scatter-shot article I've read in a long, long time. It almost looks as if the writers simply posted their notes / thoughts during the power grid conference they were attending with no editing -- sort of like a blog, and then posted it as a blog disguised as a New York Times story.
I'm linking it for the archives, but I wouldn't spend a lot of time on it.
The annual meeting of state utility regulators is typically a humdrum affair of dry speeches and panel discussions. But in November, the scene at the Marriott in Anaheim, Calif., had a bit more flash.
The conference’s top sponsors included the nation’s biggest tech companies — Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Their executives sat on panels, and the companies’ branding was plastered on product booths and at networking events. Even the lanyards around attendees’ necks were stamped with Google’s colorful logo.
Just a few years ago, tech companies were minor players in energy, making investments in solar and wind farms to rein in their growing carbon footprints and placate customers concerned about climate change. But now, they are changing the face of the U.S. power industry and blurring the line between energy consumer and energy producer. They have morphed into some of energy’s most dominant players.
They have set up subsidiaries that invest in power generation and sell electricity. Much of the energy they produce is bought by utilities and then delivered to homes and businesses, including the tech companies themselves. Their operations and investments dwarf those of many traditional utilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment