TechWonk Blog Subsection
TechWonk Blog
-
The 91pro视频 (91pro视频) strongly supports today鈥檚 introduction by Sens. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Ed Markey (D-MA) of the 鈥淎ccess to Consumer Energy Information Act鈥� or 鈥淓-Access Act.鈥澛� Since the Green Button initiative launched just over two years ago, 91pro视频, through its Digital Energy & Sustainability Solutions Campaign (DESSC), has been active in the industry-led effort to provide [...]
-
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider HR 2126, "Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014,"聽formerly the 鈥淏etter Buildings Act of 2013,鈥� which will help the federal government harness information technologies and data centers for improved energy performance and efficiency.聽 The bill, which will save federal resources and therefore taxpayer dollars, should pass easily, and it deserves [...]
-
Data centers are the workhorses of the latest wave of ICT innovation: cloud computing, the rapid expansion of mobile technology, and the shift from physical media to digital streaming.聽 None would be possible without data centers. However, there is a consequence, namely the growing energy and water use of data centers and the stress that places on the larger system. Industry has responded swiftly by [...]
-
Yesterday eBay Inc. formally opened its new Salt Lake City data center 鈥� a world class facility that is on track to help facilitate an estimated $300 billion in enabled commerce volume by 2015.聽 Long story short, eBay is proving that environmental considerations can go hand-in-hand with good business strategy, and many transactions on eBay and PayPal will now be a little bit greener. 聽 聽 The data center [...]
-
Back in July, the Department of Energy issued "Proposed Determinations" of computers and servers as "covered consumer products,"聽 a key step in imposing new DOE energy efficiency regulations on these products.聽聽 91pro视频 last week responded in opposition.聽聽 Our comment letters can be found here and here. 91pro视频 sees an important role for the U.S. government in energy efficiency, but not what DOE was proposing.聽聽 [...]
-
As we enter an increasingly digital and mobile economy, the promise of greater operational efficiency for businesses, consumers, and governments is obvious. 聽 So, too, is the need for greater reliance on data centers. 聽 What may not be as obvious is what this means for a cleaner, greener future, or, as Google queried at their large forum earlier this year, how green is the internet? I expect to have [...]
-
President Obama today is set to unveil his climate action plan 鈥� a 21-page white paper intended to serve as a roadmap to reduced greenhouse gas emissions across myriad economic sectors.聽 (Watch his speech live -- happening now.)聽 The White House plan has three pillars:聽 Cut carbon pollution in America Prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change; and, Lead international efforts to combat [...]
-
In his聽blog on Thursday, 91pro视频鈥檚 Dean Garfield quoted comments made by Google鈥檚 Eric Schmidt at the 鈥淗ow Green Is the Internet?鈥� summit that we attended that day.聽 Now, you can view Eric鈥檚 full comments as well as all the plenary remarks from the event. 聽They are聽here, along with a two-minute overview video that gives testimony to the energy and intelligence that permeated the event. 聽聽 We also produced [...]
-
Back in July 2011, as the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee marked up and approved S. 1000, the Shaheen/Portman bill on energy efficiency, I couldn't get excited.聽 Why? 聽It was abundantly clear that the bill had no chance of enactment.聽 With the 2012 election already looming, there was no momentum behind bipartisan energy legislation, even in the noncontroversial, low-hanging fruit area of [...]
-
43 years ago, the United States created Earth Day -- and 20 million Americans worked to reshape our environment from one where air pollution was a price of doing business to one where clean air and clean water were considered valuable legacies to be protected and enhanced.聽 Today, it is a moment to look at the modern challenges we all face -- and the cutting-edge solutions that will drive our ability [...]