Well you didn’t think I meant me, did you? I must admit I couldn’t resist the headline Governors links with Google energy savings initiative from Computerworld today:
The governors of Kansas and Minnesota said that they are willing to spend the required additional $30 per computer when the states buy their more than 4,000 PCs each year. That is about how much more a computer with special energy saving components costs. The governors said they expect to pay off that additional investment quickly and possibly save even more through reduced energy costs.
“As with many energy efficient pieces of equipment, there is a slightly increased out-front capital cost but over the life of the computer you actually recoup those savings so we think it is a win-win situation,” said Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
Ah Sibelius… another last name of note. Go Kansas and Minnesota! And does anyone know of similar initiatives in the UK, people getting involved with the climatesaverssmartcomputing? It looks like the guy I need to hook up with is Bill Weihl. What a great Greenmonk interview he would make.
“They will begin to drive down the cost of the PCs, said Bill Weihl, vice president and board member of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative as well as the clean energy director for Google. “When these efficient systems are sold in high volumes, the price premium will become small if not zero,” he said.
I also note that these initiatives are at the State, rather than the Federal level. As with plastic bags, local governments appear more concerned to get on with fixes than central government.
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