The economic stimulus package that President Obama will sign into law this week is very good news for Green IT. In fact, it may turn into the biggest boost Green IT has gotten --- ever.
A look at where the money will go shows that Green IT will be a beneficiary of billions of dollars. Let's start at the top --- more than $10 billion will go to the smart grid for more intelligently delivering energy. What does that have to do with Green IT? Plenty.
As I've written about previously, CIOs and IT professionals are in an ideal position to expand their roles in enterprises to become Chief Green Officers. Greening an enterprise requires that someone measure initial energy use and carbon footprint at a granular level, constantly monitor that use, put a plan into effect for reducing the carbon footprint, and then continue to monitor, measure, and refine the plan.
All that requires a smart grid, not just inside an enterprise, but outside it as well. So money spent on the green grid will ultimately end up helping Green IT as well.
In addition, Obama's Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, was previous director of the Energy Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California since 1994. Under his leadership, the lab made groundbreaking efforts in Green IT. So you can be sure that of all the money headed his way --- more than $10 billion --- there will be plenty spent on Green IT.
The stimulus package also spends many billions on scientific research and development -- $10 billion for National Institutes of Health, $3 billion for the National Science Foundation, $1 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and $1.6 billion for the Energy Department’s Office of Science.
What does Green IT have to do with all this? Plenty. Research today requires a powerful and sophisticated IT infrastructure. So a portion of that money will certainly spur developments in IT. And of that, there will certainly be some spillover into Green IT.
The upshot? Good days are ahead for Green IT.
Obama photo CC-licensed by Flickr user Joe Crimmings Photography.
