Or all the wiring and related equipment used in data centers. The price is up more than 700%, whether in New York or London, since the end of 1999, Macrotrends noted. Google-parent Alphabet spent $44.9 billion in the second quarter and raised its full-year spending estimate to $195 billion to $205 billion, according to Business Insider. Data centers are massive consumers of copper, at a rate of about 25 to 47 metric tons per megawatt of power. Alphabet shares were off more than 7% to $318 on July 23 because of investor unhappiness with the company's projection of a huge increase in capital spending.