Information Technology and U.S. Energy Consumption: Energy Hog, Productivity Tool, or Both?

A significant debate has emerged with respect to the energy requirements of the Internet. The popular literature has echoed a misleading study that incorrectly suggests the growth of the information economy will require huge amounts of new energy resources. Even correcting the misleading assumptions in that study, discussion on this topic tends to result in a highly limited and unsatisfactory review of many larger issues. Although the evidence suggests a relatively small amount of energy is required to power today's information needs—;about 3% of total electricity consumption in the United States—;the complexity and connectivity of the Internet, and, more generally, the information economy, yield a deep uncertainty about the eventual long‐term impact on energy consumption. Although we may not yet be able to generalize about the future long‐term energy needs associated with the information economy, the evidence points to continuing technical changes and the growing substitution of knowledge for material resources. These interrelated trends will likely generate small decreases in energy intensity and reduce subsequent environmental impacts relative to many baseline projections. Despite these trends, a number of questions need to be addressed before any solid long‐term conclusions might be forthcoming. The article reviews some of the dimensions of these possible changes and suggests further directions for research that may help answer these important questions.