Observations from a D.C. Energy Summit

by Rebecca Thorburn, Austin, Texas, USA / Feb 13

The ReGeneration team was in Washington D.C. last week for the “IT Energy Efficiency Summit,” a Dell-CIO magazine summit on energy-efficient computing strategies. It’s a topic that continues to generate a significant amount of interest among IT executives tasked with driving cost savings through environmentally-smart technology. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, data centers account for an estimated 1.5 percent of the nation’s energy use, a number that’s expected to double within the next 5 years.

The event featured a moderated question and answer session between Michael Dell and CIO publisher emeritus Gary Beach on the “greening” of the IT landscape. Michael also talked about Dell’s commitment to becoming the “greenest” technology company on Earth, a pledge he personally announced on World Environment Day 2007. Included in the dialogue were specific recommendations that organizations could implement to minimize their energy footprints, such as incorporating energy-efficient systems across their IT infrastructures, utilizing advanced power and cooling solutions and leveraging virtualization technologies. Michael reminded the attendees that by significantly reducing their organization’s energy costs to meet green initiatives, the results will on their bottom lines as well as the improved quality of life that comes from minimizing the impact on the planet.

The Direct2Dell blog has video from the event.

David Rogers, the deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency with the U.S. Department of Energy, also spoke, urging the private sector to lead the movement to expand our economy while reducing overall power consumption. He envisions a future where the IT industry works closely with the federal government to define new standards around energy use and drives increased adoption and development of energy efficient technology.

Overall, this was a great event that brought CIOs and IT managers from the public and private sectors together to lay the groundwork for an inspiring movement that has the drive, resources and sway to bring positive changes to our planet.