BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE:   Business Week ebiz
DATA MINE Sept. 28, 1999 The Net Gets Electrified Commodities are ripe for the efficiencies of Internet-based trading exchanges, and electricity and natural gas are likely to be the first markets where the Net will have a broad impact on how they are sold. That's because prices change minute by minute, based on weather and supply constraints; deregulation of the natural-gas and electricity systems is spurring choice for consumers historically tied to one supplier; and the trading systems today rely on a relatively inefficient network of brokers. Projected online sales of natural gas and electricity (sales in millions)   1999 20000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Natural gas $10,000 $23,600 $43,400 $74,500 $116,900 $165,900 Percent of industry 2.2% 4.8% 8.2% 13.0% 18.9% 24.9% Electricity $1,000 $6,300 $13,100 $26,700 $53,200 $100,500 Percent of industry 0.2% 1.2% 2.1% 3.8% 6.7% 10.9% DATA: Forrester Research Inc. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					MORE NUGGETS Untapped Giving 50 million U.S. Internet users contribute to social causes the old-fashioned way Japanese Women Alter the Face of E-tailing Women in Japan are changing priorities on the Net The Devil is in the Details Companies still need to learn the ropes of logistics Floyd Floods The Net Top weather sites saw a rise in key measurements like audience size and page views The Mother Lode Collected nuggets from Data Mine