Don't blame the geeks

Scientist Jonathan Koomey says Internet companies are not responsible for California's energy crisis.

Interview by Stephan Cox

Jan 23, 2001 | With institutionalized rolling blackouts becoming a reality for California businesses and residences, many have started to point the finger at the thousands of dot-coms that have sprung up in the past few years. One might imagine that so many more computers running, lights burning and copiers copying would cause a massive strain on the state's power supply.

Jonathan Koomey says this just isn't the case. He is the staff scientist with the E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and leader of the End-Use Forecasting Group, which studies and reports on power usage and efficiency, and whose clients include the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Here he speaks with Stephan Cox about this common misconception.

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