Federal CTO Says Telecom Has Big Role in Promoting Energy Efficiency
Telecom is central to making the U.S. more energy- efficient, federal CTO Aneesh Chopra said at a Nokia Siemens environmental conference Tuesday. “Technology and telecommunications have an opportunity to advance the sustainability agenda in part because we're such energy hogs,” Chopra said. “I come from Virginia, where half the economic prosperity of the state is born out of the telecommunications sector and these massive data centers, which are deployed all around the state, and boy do they consume a ridiculous amount of energy.”
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Chopra said the U.S. uses only about 25 percent of data centers’ capacity. “We as a society will benefit greatly if we can basically maximize the capacity of our footprint,” he said. “It’s reducing excess capacity and it’s maximizing the efficiency of the capacity that ultimately exists.”
Chopra said the communications industry can also play a big role in making the nation more energy efficient through better management of consumption. “FERC, the nation’s [energy] regulatory body, has estimated that if we maximize the potential of demand response we can cut peak demand by 20 percent,” he said. “That is a pretty big target to hit if we can get there.”
Nokia Siemens Networks sponsored the conference on making the telecom sector greener “because it is what we believe is the way we need to do business,” said Susan Spradley, head of North America for the company. “It is fundamentally part of our belief as a company.” The company has hit the 95 percent recyclability mark for its products, she said. “We've gone from needing tremendous amounts of power to what you need for a microwave, but that’s still not good enough,” she said. “I believe we are at a point now where as an industry we can make a difference.”
Energy and environmental issues still rank behind health care, reviving the economy and national security on the Obama administration’s agenda, but they will get more attention, said Yale University professor Dan Esty, who was on the Obama transition team. The president considers green energy an engine of economic growth, he said, noting some stimulus money is going to activities such as energy-efficiency projects, alternative energy, battery storage and the smart grid.
Green intersects with the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, which will aim for sustainable development, said Nick Sinai, the commission’s energy and environment director. Smart grid offers the biggest emission savings and has shown significant efficiency potential, he said. Licensed and unlicenced spectrum needs and usage for smart grid applications, alternative spectrum approaches, and the effect of dedicated spectrum on smart grid deployment will be taken up in the plan, Sinai said.
Telecom companies are facing the challenges of increasing capacity while maintaining service quality, raising data throughput and reducing latency, balancing new energy measures against effects on people’s lives and meeting industry requirements for emerging markets, said Cheryl Blum, a vice president at the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). TIA is working on green standards efforts, including smart device communications, small wind turbines, building automation systems standards, an emerging technologies group and a telematics group, she said.
Rules that would restrict the use of information and communications technology by indiscriminately limiting total power consumption would be counterproductive, warned Tim Jeffries, a vice president at the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS). And state and local level incentives can be difficult to navigate and lead to a fragmented regulatory framework, he said. Standards and best practices around the world should be harmonized to meet the needs of the information and communication industry’s multinational reach, Jeffries said. Greenhouse gas and life cycle assessment reporting practices like labeling that aren’t uniform can cause customer confusion and distrust, he said. He cited the ATIS’ Network Power and Protection Committee’s release of three specifications outlining measurement methods for calculating telecom equipment energy ratio.
Developing a green business strategy is crucial, said Mary Brusewitz of the Strasburger & Price law firm. Businesses are increasingly judged on whether they're reacting or taking the initiative in green energy, she said. Companies can be ranked on their environmental impact, green policies and reputation, she said. But figuring out what green means can be difficult, because there are multiple jurisdictions and systems, differing state laws, evolving environmental reporting rules, major expenses, climate change litigation and international laws, she said. Balance is crucial, said Jack Rowley, a director at GSM Association. Setting up green efforts can stimulate innovation and may help other industries, he said.