Broadband and electric power, not water and sewer

I have written extensively on the need for communities to be able to market affordable broadband and great quality of life to businesses, but there may be a third leg that can be added: reliable electric power. We take this for granted, but as businesses are increasingly powered by computers and network equipment, their need for reliable and resilient electric power becomes far more important than water and sewer.

Blackouts and brownouts play havoc with electronics, and even if businesses invest in UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies) you don't ever want to have to use them. Reliable electric power is particularly important to companies that provide hosted services to their customers, and more and more businesses are getting into this fast growing business sector.

If your region has a well-managed public utility or a good private utility, it is something you ought to be talking about. And if you have funds to spend on infrastructure, you may want to look at improving the local electric power grid--redundant electric feeds, multiple electric feeds into business parks, and so on.

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