Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency
Clean energy and energy efficiency represent crucial challenges and opportunities alike
for the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) industry.
On the opportunity side, ICT hardware and software
innovations enable revolutionary “Smart” systems (including smart grid, smart
buildings, smart transportation, and smart manufacturing), drive
state-of-the-art renewable energy technologies and help moderate greenhouse gas
emissions. The contribution already has been enormous --
“For every extra kilowatt-hour of electricity that
has been demanded by ICT, the U.S. economy increased its overall energy savings
by a factor of about 10. These productivity gains have resulted in
significant net saving in both energy and economic costs. The
extraordinary implication of this finding is that ICT provide a net savings of
energy across our economy." -- Information and Communication Technologies: The Power of Productivity, a report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The contribution in the future could be even greater. Just from smart
grid, smart transportation, and smart buildings the GeSI Smart 2020 Report predicted ICT enabled solutions could achieve gross energy and fuel
savings of $140-240 billion dollars.
ITI actively promotes government policies that will help the ICT sector achieve or surpass these contribution and create U.S. jobs. ITI believes the governmental role in encouraging ICT-enabled sustainable economic growth and clean energy innovation should include policies that promote smart technologies and energy efficiency, green ICT procurement, innovation funding, broadband access, global collaboration and trade that respect IP rights, and consumer empowerment.
In terms of challenges, the ICT industry is faced with a growing global array of costly and inconsistent laws, regulations and standards that threaten market access by forcing manufacturers to design different products for different regions. Through engagement with U.S. and international jurisdictions, and its lead role in public-private partnerships such as the U.S. Government's ENERGY STAR® program, ITI promotes consistency among laws and regulations that mandate energy efficiency through product design requirements.
