Tech Blog
NSA's power crunch
In light of the recent power issues and initiatives for saving power in the data center, the Baltimore Sun has an interesting report on the National Security Agency’s growing problem with obtaining enough power for its Fort Meade, Md. headquarters. The agency has purchased two new supercomputers and yet has been unable to power them up, “for fear of blowing out the electrical infrastructure,” the daily newspaper reports.
The new computer systems, however, are only the most extreme example of the agency’s electricity woes. The paper estimates that the complex of Ft. Meade buildings could exceed its electrical infrastructure’s maximum capacity in as little as two months. The paper quoted James Bamford, an intelligence expert, who noted that NSA is the largest single customer for Baltimore Gas & Electric, the major utility company serving the Mid-Atlantic area. He said the complex uses as much electricity as the entire city of Annapolis, the state’s capital.
--Posted by Joab Jackson
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