WASHINGTON – Today the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the global voice of the tech sector, announced their support for S. 1706, the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act (EEGTA), legislation introduced by Sens. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bipartisan bill would help the federal government harness information technologies and data centers for improved energy performance and efficiency, and therefore, save federal resources and taxpayer dollars.

“The federal government is one of the biggest operators of data centers and is also the single largest energy user in the U.S.,” said Chris Hankin, ITI senior director for environment and sustainability. “The EEGTA bill would make the federal government smarter and more efficient at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayer simply by using the latest energy-efficient and energy-saving technologies our companies have pioneered for the marketplace.”

In a TechWonk blog, ITI supported companion legislation that was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by Reps. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). If enacted, the bill would replace and consolidate larger and older data centers with smaller, next-generation facilities that save the government money, cut energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide early support for emerging technologies.

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