Energy Star for power efficient servers?

In a letter to computing-industry representatives Thursday, the federal agency said it "is initiating its process to develop an Energy Star specification for enterprise computer servers." Energy Star certification is a voluntary program identifying products that meet EPA-set efficiency requirements.

The EPA's discussions with computing-equipment makers and data center operators has shown "compelling evidence of the need for this specification," according to the letter from Andrew Fanara, an Energy Star program manager. But the certification isn't a foregone conclusion: "In the coming months, EPA will conduct an analysis to determine whether such a specification for servers is viable, given current market dynamics, the availability and performance of energy-efficient designs and the potential energy savings," Fanara said.