With the aim of promoting technology’s role in energy efficiency, the Technology CEO Council launched a new blog Oct. 29 called Behind the Green. According to the blog, the project hopes to create a dialogue among policymakers, media, and organizations and companies engaged in green technology.
Bruce Mehlman, executive director of the organization, said the blog would also serve as a clearinghouse for information and new stories about how technology is making the United States more energy-efficient and less reliant on foreign energy sources.
“Some of the most pressing issues we face are our fragile economy, the state of our environment, and the high costs and foreign dependence for energy,” Mehlman said in a statement. “At the nexus of those three issues is technologies that make our economy more energy-efficient and address our energy needs. That is why Behind the Green is an important site to share and discuss issues and technologies that will help us shape our policies for the next century.”
The blog is not the Technology CEO Council’s first foray into green policies and politics.
In February, the Council sponsored a report by the ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) that found a direct link between gains in energy productivity and investments in ICT (information and communications technology). The study also found that technology leads to increases in energy efficiency and is actually a net saver of energy by a 10:1 ratio across the economy.
At the same, the Council released its own report entitled A Smarter Shade of Green (PDF) that focuses on technology initiatives aimed at energy efficiency. Among the chief findings of the report is how virtualization is leading to more energy efficiency.
“From higher energy and consumer expenses to global climate change, Americans are increasingly aware that our ever-increasing demand for energy has very real consequences for our economy,” Mehlman said. “The desire to ‘go green’ is urgent, and people want to learn more about how they can help.”