While it seems that ‘cloud computing’ is the next big frontier in information technology, when it comes to energy consumption it’s quite a step back. Right now, teams of researches at Carnegie Mellon University and MIT are working on a new algorithm that is designed to route internet traffic to areas where the cost of energy is lower. This move could possibly save millions of dollars that would normally be spent on massive energy bills.

The two research teams have been working with Akamai, a company that provides distributed computing solutions, to test the new rerouting algorithm and see if it could work well under the normal fluctuation of energy costs across the country. According to Technology Review, the algorithm is capable of calculating the best way to route internet traffic based on the expense of routing traffic further as opposed to how much money would be saved based on cheaper energy prices and then goes with the ‘happy medium’.

The energy cost data was made up of information from 29 major cities in the U.S. over a 39 month period, andthe study also tracked 24 days worth of Akamai’s server activity. based on the data gathered, a company could theoretically save around 40% on their energy costs if the energy use was in proportion with computing amounts.

The study concludes that if the rerouting algorithm were to be instated, companies like Amazon and Google could save millions of dollars in operating costs and also cut energy requirements for the power grid.

Technology Review also reported that a few companies have said that there are still more control and hardware improvements that need to be made to the system before they could make a judgment on the efficiency of rerouting internet traffic. The companies also emphasized that there was also no way to guarantee that energy use could be scaled back beyond just saving money.

Just how much are the consistently increasing popularity of electronic gadgets such as iPhones, Blackberries, TV’s and PC’s contributing to a global energy drain?

According to the findings of a new study conducted for the International Energy Agency (IEA), electronic devices currently account for 15% of household electricity consumption but their share is rapidly rising.

The report, called “Gadgets and Gigawatts: Policies for Energy Efficient Electronics” was presented by IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka in Paris, who said that despite the anticipated improvements in the efficiency of electronic devices, the savings will be overshadowed by the rising demand for technology around the world.

According to the study, more than half of the global population subscribes to mobile phone services, and the number of external power supplies that are associated with many electronic devices is more than 5.5 billion.

“Many mobile devices are already far more efficient in their use of power than other devices which run off a main electricity supply,” explained Mr. Tanaka. “Because extending the battery life of a mobile device is a selling point, manufacturers place an emphasis on designing products which require very little power.

“This example shows us what can be achieved. Where no such commercial drivers exist, governments must step in to ensure that we make the most of every energy efficiency opportunity,” he said.

One state, California, is moving ahead with a proposal which would regulate the sale of TV’s that don’t meet with their energy efficiency standards.

There are nearly 2 billion television sets in use, with an average of over 1.3 sets in each home having access to electricity. The projections are for there to be more than 3.5 billion mobile phone subscribers by next year.

The IEA contends that the problem can be reduced by tapping into technologies that are already available, which would slow growth in consumption to less than 1% per annum through 2030.

“This level of energy saving represents a reduction to consumer energy bills by over USD 130 billion in 2030 and the avoidance of 260 GW in additional power generation capacity – more than the current electrical generating capacity of Japan” the IEA says.

The executive mansion in Albany is the first governor's mansion in the nation to receive LEED Gold status.

New York’s executive mansion in Albany was awarded the second highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)  certification –the first governor’s mansion to receive it– in recognizance for its drastic reductions in energy use.

First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson made the announcement Thursday, that the U.S. Green Building Council had awarded them the Gold LEED status, which was a surprise considering that New York was only seeking Silver LEED status. The highest LEED status is Platinum, followed by Gold, Silver and Certified.

“Our effort to green the mansion has been a great success,” Mrs. Paterson said. “Decades from now, I hope that historians will look back on this and say that it was a turning point. I feel honored that I live in the Executive Mansion.”

The greening of the mansion actually began under disgraced former Governor Eliot Spitzer, launched two years ago by his wife, former First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.

The only other governor’s residence to receive any LEED certification is Colorado’s, located in Denver, which was awarded LEED Certified status in November.

Energy use in the mansion is down 20 percent to 25 percent over the past several years.

The mansion earned the certification for a number of reasons, including its proximity to public transportation; its use of alternative-fuel vehicles and water-efficient landscaping; its recycling and reduction in water use; and the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products and energy-efficient appliances.