April 8, 2001
There's Money in Housing Internet Servers
By JAYSON BLAIR
A lthough the Internet money machine that drove New York City's real
estate market has nearly ground to a halt, one obscure corner of the
industry is booming: the development of huge, air-conditioned spaces
to house computers and other electronics for companies that use the
Internet.
Known as telecommunications hotels, server farms or data centers,
these warehouses for computers, operating 24 hours a day, are also
huge power guzzlers.
Developers are planning more than 46 of them in New York City and
Westchester County over the next four years, according to Consolidated
Edison. Dozens of similar projects are planned for the New Jersey and
Connecticut suburbs, according to real estate firms and power
companies.
But while the explosive demand is good news for an industry that needs
some lately, it is alarming to some others most notably to energy
providers. Con Edison officials say that the growth of server farms in
coming years could contribute to already-looming power capacity
difficulties in the New York region.
A single low-rise installation planned for the South Bronx would draw
180 megawatts all by itself when it is operating at its peak. By
comparison, the World Trade Center, with its twin 100-story towers and
underground shopping mall, draws 87 megawatts.
Complete article: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/technology/08TELE.html?pagewanted=print
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com