Specifying energy efficiency to stimulate the market - the US Federal Government
The U.S. Federal Government annually purchases $18 billion of information technology equipment, over $3 billion of which is comprised of personal computers (PCs) and associated equipment. Each year, Federal agencies purchase one-half million microcomputers. The Department of Defense buys half the Federal computers, and the government`s 10 largest agencies buy 80 to 90% of the computers. This includes agencies such as Health and Human Services with Social Security, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Agriculture. The Federal Government controls 5 to 10% of all computers bought in the United States each year, so if it defines a policy or a specification, it has the potential to greatly influence the market. Executive orders and legislation passed during the last two years have affected how energy will be used over the next 10 years. Major cutbacks in energy use have been specified, along with the push toward buying energy-efficient products through the Energy Policy Act of 1992, other types of legislation, and executive orders. There has been a redirection in the information technology arena to use energy efficiency as a portion of the specification when a product is purchased. Traditionally, Federal Information Resources Management (IRM) managers have not concentrated on energy efficiency; rather, they have concentrated on performance, power, and meeting the agencies` missions. The executive orders and legislation of the past several years have caused a shift in focus. In particular, Executive Order 12845 which specified energy-efficient computers, has been a major part of that area. It was signed by President Clinton on Earth Day 1993, and mandated that after October 18, 1993, all Federal Government purchases of microcomputers, monitors, and associated printers must meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA`s) requirements for the Energy Star Computers Program.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Policy Research Associates, Inc., Reston, VA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 254591
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR--105549; CONF-9410439--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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