Electrical circuitry requires a substantial amount of copper and dedicated electricity. Today, precious metals and energy command the highest demands on the economy.
For years, the IT industry has used network cabling and Power over Ethernet PoE to manage and power IP technology like telephones and wireless access points. Now, that list has expanded to include entry systems (card readers), fire and security, integrated LED lighting, network audio, and smart controls like dimmers, thermostats, and environmental sensors (think IoT Building Management).
Electronics use power adapters and transformers to prevent damage from high-voltage electricity by stepping down the power: the energy that's not needed is wasted. Whereas PoE electronics request and receive their precise power needed and waste nothing - with the help of smart controls software like ours!
As to the cabling, even the thinnest electrical wire uses more than four times the copper per foot and costs more than four-times as much as network cabling.
Each electrical circuit requires dedicated power from the public utility whether the power is being used or not. PoE comes with a lower demand because it requires fewer circuits and comes with zero waste.