CNET recently conducted a study to determine the amount of energy used by data centers, the backbone of the IT industry. They found that our IT economy is a huge power guzzler.

Data centers run up about $2.7 billion in energy bills in the U.S. alone and $7.2 billion across the world. What's more, the study shows that data center power consumption has roughly doubled from 2000 to 2005. Faced with such growth rates, delivering the technology that the world demands without delivering as power-efficient products as possible is quite simply an unsustainable model.

Industry leaders are calling for more regulation and applaud the recently passed House Resolution 5646, an act "to study and promote the use of energy efficient computer servers in the United States."

CNET commentary on this issue calls for greater partnership within the industry to develop energy efficient solutions and increased voluntary plans with the federal government such as Energy Star.

Let's move this beyond home appliances to the technology that drives the Internet. This is an exciting moment for the IT industry. And if we prioritize the incredible benefits by reducing our energy consumption, we can make a real and lasting impact on the future of businesses and the planet.

Via CNET