Google Goes Green With Tech Rival Microsoft

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative aims to cut down on the energy wasted by computers through tougher standards for efficiency.

Google may be having a tiff with Microsoft over Vista’s allegedly anticompetitive search capabilities, but that apparently doesn’t mean the two can’t join hands for the environment. Silicon Valley’s golden child announced on Tuesday that it has formed the Climate Savers Computing Initiative along with co-founder Intel, and partners including Dell, EDS, the EPA, HP, IBM, Lenovo, the World Wildlife Fund, and of course – Microsoft.

The initiative will focus on boosting energy efficiency in computers and their components. Member companies will begin by adopting current EPA Energy Star standards, then gradually making them more and more stringent with time.

Many of the goals the group hopes to attain will be achieved through more efficient power supplies. An average desktop power supply, for instance, wastes nearly half the power it consumes. By boosting the efficiency of power supplies to 90% by 2010 using existing techniques, the initiative hopes to save 54 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, representing $5.5 billion in energy costs.

"Computers have helped us make huge strides toward a more efficient world today, with reduced travel, more productivity, online transactions and more," said Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group, in a statement. "But with today’s latest energy-efficient technologies, we can do even more. The commitment of the member companies that are here with us today is a firm statement to the collective resolve to make an enormous impact."

Specific details of Climate Savers’ power efficiency requirements and information on how individuals may contribute can be found on the group’s Web site.