Regulation Compliance is Next Step in Green Data Centers

DataCenterKnowledge has a post on Digital Realty Trust’s survey on concerns about regulation coming.

The changes in Washington are being felt in the data center. The changed political and regulatory climate is clearly seen in survey data released today by Digital Realty Trust, the largest wholesale data center developer. The company’s annual study of green data center trends in the U.S. found that 69 percent of data center executives said they were “extremely or very concerned” about government regulation, and a huge surge in interest in using carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions.

“What dominated last year’s study was the need for clearer standards and best practices for green data centers,” said Jim Smith, CTO of Digital Realty Trust. “By contrast, what dominates this year’s study is companies’ concerns about potential government regulation and how that would impact data center operations.”

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“Concerns about potential regulations are driving companies to look closely at their data centers and accelerate the process of implementing green initiatives to increase energy efficiency,” said Smith, who said concerns about government regulation are somewhat offset by good faith efforts by the Department of Energy and  Environmental Protection Agency to work with the industry and groups like The Green Grid. “We believe that collaboration between the government and data center professionals is the most effective approach to addressing data center energy efficiency.”

What most people don’t understand what comes with being green claims is an opportunity for gov’t officials to measure your compliance.  Regulations and compliance are ways opportunities to tax.

Should you be concerned?

What are the carbon impact of your data centers?  All the top data center operators know theirs.

Do you know yours?

Why are data centers vulnerable?  They are owned by rich companies which can afford to pay carbon impact taxes.