The opposing forces of increased demand for data, the corresponding increased energy demand, and the pressure to reduce energy consumption continue to come into conflict.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other entities like the Green Grid and the United States Green Building Council are working with the industry to quantify the current situation and develop solutions. A current DOE presentation (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/pdfs/doe_data_centers_presentation.pdf) makes the following statements.
California recently developed its 2010 Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen) to address these concerns. A statement released by the Office of the Governor described the CalGreen Code as “the nation’s first mandatory statewide standards code to green construction and fight climate change.”
This addition to the California’s existing building codes is mandatory and applies to new construction of residential, commercial, and public buildings. It takes effect in January 2011. For a summary see http://images.emaildirect.com/clients/govpressoffice847/GreenBuildingCodeOnepager.pdf