In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report on server and data center energy efficiency. The report found that data centers have the collective potential to save up to $4 billion per year in electricity costs through the employment of initiatives such as server consolidation, virtualization, and other energy-efficient strategies.

Utility Rebates

Beyond the typical cost-saving benefits of these green initiatives, enterprises which implement them are now being offered financial rewards from utility companies. It may seem counterintuitive that energy providers are offering power-reducing rebates, but the incentive for them is also quite large. As customers use less energy, utility companies avoid having to build investment-hefty power plants to meet rising demands.