Orbitz's Green Data Center Commitment

In researching what companies have made strategic commitments to be green, I found Orbitz efforts interesting in that they had a corporate PR message along with an article about how they are trying to go carbon neutral in their data centers. These articles are old, but are an indicator of their commitment.

Orbitz announced its Earth Day efforts, and corporate commitment on April 19, 2007.

A recent Orbitz survey* found that more than half of Americans feel the U.S. tourist industry is lagging when it comes to being "eco-friendly."

This reconfirmed the Orbitz Worldwide efforts already under way, in offices from Chicago to Sydney to London, to curb its own environmental impact, and the development, from the inside-out of eco-friendly travel tools and environmentally-focused content on-site.

"Today, Orbitz invites travelers to join our own employees around the world in making a difference when you travel," said Steve Barnhart, CEO and president of Orbitz Worldwide, a division of Travelport Ltd (www.travelport.com). "Orbitz Worldwide is committed to being a vocal proponent within the travel community, working to offset the impact our industry has on the environment, so we're enthusiastic about our partnership with a highly respected organization like CarbonFund.org and the launch of Version 1.0 of our eco-microsite."

Computerworld has an article about Orbitz's Green Data Center using Nuclear power

Orbitz, a Chicago travel Web site, has embraced environmentalism as a corporate strategy. Now Orbitz CIO Bahman Koohestani faces the challenge of trying to make the company's electricity-hungry IT operations green.

Koohestani is attacking this challenge in several ways. He's taking his IT operations carbon neutral; he's embracing server consolidation; and, he's using an aggressive technology refresh cycle to buy more energy-efficient computer equipment.

Orbitz has two large data centers in the Chicago area: Both are powered by Exelon, the Chicago area electric utility, which generates about 80% of its electricity from nuclear power plants.

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Google Tax Break Approved SC Data Center

Google got its Tax Breaks in SC.

The google guys are smart and leveraging their brand recognition to help get politicians reelected, bringing media attention to their small town.  30 years of no property tax to employ 200 people.

RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Google won't pay property taxes in Richland County for 30 years.

Tuesday night, County Council decided on its tax incentive plan for a Google data center in Blythewood.

WIS News 10's Craig Melvin talked to County Councilman Damon Jeter and County Administrator Milton Pope. They said Google has committed to spend $600 million in Richland County. The internet giant is expected to create at least 200 new jobs with an average salary of $60,000 a year.

What the news doesn't clarify is of the $600 million spent in Richland county, a large part is capital equipment, installed by specialized technicians who are sent to the facility for installation.  I would be curious how much of the local labor will get of the $600 million of construction cost.

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Press Covers Google Tax Breaks & Nosy Neighbors

Given the huge Tax Breaks Google has received in its negotiations with local gov'ts, the local press is covering the process for granting tax breaks.

Google tax deal goes up for vote

But Web company won’t announce before January whether it will build 200-employee site

By JIM DuPLESSIS - jduplessis@thestate.com

Related Content

Richland County Council will vote tonight on property tax breaks for a potential 200-job, $600 million Google data center near Blythewood, but the Silicon Valley company won’t announce before January whether it will build one.

The vote comes three months after Google paid $13.1 million for a 466-acre site along I-77. Local officials have dreamed the 80-mile stretch of highway connecting Columbia to Charlotte would become a magnet for high-paying jobs since it opened 26 years ago today.

As a result Google has been spending more time with local influentials like the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club to talk about their data centers.

Google's Data Center Strategy Revealed . . . At The Rotary Club

Posted by John Foley, Nov 30, 2007 01:24 PM

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For months, I've been trying to get Google (NSDQ: GOOG) to discuss its data center strategy. My approach was flawed. I could have gotten more information at a Rotary Club luncheon this week in Hickory, N.C.

Until recently, Google didn't talk to anyone about the data centers it's building around the world at a cost of about $600 million each, but company officials realized they needed to open up as the locals started asking questions about the tall fences, bulldozers, and dust being kicked up in their communities. So Google now talks strategy with the people directly affected.

As reported by John Dayberry in the Hickory Record, the manager of Google's under-construction data center in Lenoir, N.C., met yesterday with folks at the Hickory Rotary Club. Tom Jacobik told the group of about 100 that Google's data center there could be operational before the year's end or early in 2008. Among the tidbits gleaned: Google plans to employ approximately 200 people at the facility. (That seems to be the rule of thumb for new Google data centers.) Google's getting involved in IT skills education and retraining at local colleges. And Jacobik, one-time director of tactical operations for Oracle, is helping supervise construction of another Google data center in Charleston, S.C.

Last week, Google officials were in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where they addressed the Chamber of Commerce's quarterly meeting. Ken Patchett (he manages Google's data center in The Dalles, Ore.) gave a status report on Google's Council Bluffs facility, answered some questions, and dodged others. As reported by the Des Moines Register, Patchett also had breakfast at Duncan's Café on Main Street. (Check out the picture; I'll take two eggs scrambled, toast, black coffee.)

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Google's 38 2 MW Diesel Generators in Iowa

Data Center Knowledge pointed out due to the permiting process for Google's data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, you can see that there are 38 diesel generators permitted for the facility with a rated power of 2919 bhp (2 megawatt)

Emission Unit(s):

1430 W. South Omaha Bridge Rd.

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

200001

Equipment Location:

None

Emission Point:

Diesel Engine (EU 200001; 2,919 bhp; 137.9 gallons/hr)

Control Equipment:

Also, Data Center Knowledge has pointed out the backlogs for generators and new FCC requirements for cel networks are putting strains on the supply of generators.

"Generator lead time for a nice 2 megawatt diesel engine is now up to a year for one generator," Josh Snowhorn of Terremark said in a panel at the NANOG conference earlier this year. "So we can build all the raised floor we want, and then sit around and wait six months for a generator."

In an effort to keep phone and wireless networks online during natural disasters, the FCC is now requiring telecom and wireless companies to provide backup power for cell sites and remote telecom facilities.

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