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 acheive or surpass these contribition and create U.S. jobs.  ITI believes the governmental role in encourageing ICT-enabled sustainable economic growth and clean energy innovation should include policies that promote smart technologies and energy efficiency, green ICT procurement, innocation 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.