Robert X. Cringely speculated on this about a year ago, but several circle jerkers only recently jumped on Google’s formal request to the government to market electricity. This has been in the pipeline for quite a while, for these Googlers plan ahead and think of the big picture. Part of the plan is to make sure all the energy needs of only-Kevin-knows-how-many data centers are met and the company doesn’t get Enronned like the State of California did back in winter of 2000-01. The other deal is, Google plans to one day be everybody’s ISP and energy distributor. The writing is on the wall, so, unless we act like reactionary media commentators with their heads buried so far up their fundaments they can see their own pancreas, the future of energy is going to be very much locally, probably even, home produced. Solar cell technology is now starting to mimic Moore’s Law. Ideally in seven years but probably realistically in about fourteen to eighteen years, most electricity produced will be from solar cells and windmills located at individual homes, apartment complexes and businesses. The difference will be distributing the excess energy to areas not as energy rich. That’s where Google will step in, by creating a new nationwide, possibly worldwide electrical grid, while setting itself up as also an ISP that delivers service via electrical wall sockets. Think that’s crazy? Wait and see, droogies.
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