To handle all the Internet action, businesses are turning entire offices into warehouses for the powerful computer servers and peripheral equipment needed to navigate networks. These so-called ''server farms'' consume 10 to 12 times more power than the traditional office building filled with human workers. Computers aren't California's only energy drain. Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the largest power supplier in Northern California, is scrambling to keep up with the growth. That option might not be as readily available in the future because of the rapid growth in population in other Western states such as Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.
Some help is on the way for California.
Five power plants, with a combined capacity of about 3,600 megawatts, have been approved by the California Energy Commission. An additional 14 power plants are under consideration. Winning approval for future power plants usually is a daunting task in California because of environmental concerns and resistance from residents who don't want the facilities in their communities. There are lots of ways for companies and factories to manage their energy usage better,'' said David Nemtzow, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C. ''They can get more efficient equipment and shift more work to off-peak hours. Hopefully, people will take these blackouts as a wake-up call because they're going to happen again.'' Copyright 2000 Associated Press .