The Obama administration’s economic recovery package includes commitments to work towards a sustainable, energy-efficient future. With the world’s servers currently consuming some 408 MWh of electricity, the effort is certainly needed. In fact it has been under way for some time in some of the United States’ large data centers.

President Obama's first speech to a Joint Session of Congress last night was almost entirely devoted to the troubled economy. Amid a deepening recession Obama described the $787 Billion stimulus as one of the bold steps his five week old administration is implementing to turn the US economy around.

In the speech, Obama vowed to spend $15 billion a year to develop renewable energy. "We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century," he said. The administration's Secretary of Energy, Stephen Chu, announced on Monday an immediate fast-tracking of all applications from wind and solar companies for stimulus dollars to kick-start the construction of more projects.

The GSMA and 17 leading mobile operators and manufacturers today announced that they are committed to implementing a cross-industry standard for a universal charger for new mobile phones. The aim of the initiative, led by the GSMA, is to ensure that the mobile industry adopts a common format for mobile phone charger connections and energy-efficient chargers resulting in an estimated 50 per cent reduction in standby energy consumption, the potential elimination of up to 51,000 tonnes of duplicate chargers and the enhancement of the customer experience by simplifying the charging of mobile phones.

Congressional leaders together with Barack Obama's new Cabinet are planning a $25 Billion stimulus package in order to meet the President-elect's goal of doubling renewable energy production in the next three years, according to a report in Sunday's Washington Post.

California voters yesterday turned down Proposition 10. Named The California Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuels Initiative, the measure was a $5-billion, first-in-the-nation public investment to provide funds for a wide variety of clean energy projects across the state, including consumer incentives for clean alternative vehicle fuels and the construction of renewable energy generation facilities, such as solar and wind power plants.

In a unanimous vote, the Ohio legislature has passed a new bill requiring 12.5% of Ohio's energy be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar. Ohio now becomes the 26th state, including California, New York and Texas, to adopt renewable energy portfolio standards -- tough new laws which are creating one of the most dramatic shifts in the delivery of energy to American consumers ever.

Dozens of planned coal, natural gas and diesel fired power plants have been cancelled across the country. Instead, 60-gigawatts of wind and solar power (enough energy to serve 20 million American homes) will be constructed, according to a new study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

More than 105 million drivers commute to work every day, and just over six million transit users ride their way to work. Yet only about one million people have caught on to IRS “Section 132(f)” or Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit. Approximately five million people already riding public transit to commute could be doing so for less.

Save on taxes while commuting

With Section 132(f), employees can designate up to $115 a month -- $1380 a year – as a pre-tax salary deduction to be used to pay for transit fares. Typically, employees save 40 percent from less payroll and income taxes, while employers save eight to ten percent in payroll related costs. Most tax breaks mean a savings when you file your return. This one helps commuters and companies save right away.

EnerNOC launched a new blackout prevention offering in Texas. EnerNOC is participating in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT) Emergency Interruptible Load Service (EILS) and is partnering with local area businesses to reduce energy consumption during times of peak demand in order to maintain the stability of electricity resources. This strategic initiative marks EnerNOC’s official entry into the Texas market, expanding the company’s national footprint.

Neighborhood America announces that early results reveal that over 60 percent of prospective voters identify ‘green’ initiatives as a top concern.

According to this week’s Connect2Elect results, democratic candidate Bill Richardson is most closely aligned with the site’s 4,000 registered users, with his plan to make “America a Clean Energy Nation”. On the republican front, results show John McCain most strongly responds to voters’ interests on ‘green’ initiatives. Of the nine republican contenders, only McCain considers global warming to be a great concern.