Do you think copper wire price is high, is mostly due to high demand for new datacenter during early covid19 pandemic ?

 

Paid lil more than 2$ per ft. for 12/3 Romex... I like plenty headroom on my wire because I'm not comfortable having my wire screaming hot. Lots of diy guys are going to go the other way and push the specs to save some coin.

 

Do you think copper wire price is high, is mostly due to high demand for new datacenter during early covid19 pandemic ?

My microeconomics class showed us prices go up when demand outpaces supply. Either supply is short or demand is high. The exceptions to the rule are
- anticompetitive behavior of suppliers
- upstream raw materials or downstream distribution costs are increasing.
- new government regulations that cause increased costs to the manufacturer

I think there are multiple reasons for the price of copper increasing. Note that fuel is one of the larger costs of mining, refining and distributing copper. Also, fuel (crude oil) is the basic raw material to create the polymers for the cable sheathing.

when the cost of raw materials are rising is not the time to create excess product for storage in a warehouse. You want to be able to immediately sell anything you are making because the product would have to be sold for a loss if raw material prices come down and competitors lower their prices before you have a chance to empty your warehouse. Lots of profits will be in short supply until buyers stop buying, prices drop somewhat and then stabilize. Only then will companies be willing to build any inventory into their warehouses.

 

While there may be a fair amount of copper in a data center I would be willing to bet most everything is fiber that can be.