[House Report 109-538]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-538

======================================================================



 
                   ENERGY EFFICIENT COMPUTER SERVERS

                                _______
                                

 June 28, 2006.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Barton of Texas, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5646]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5646) to study and promote the use of energy 
efficient computer servers in the United States, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     1
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Committee Consideration..........................................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     2
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     2
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     2
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     2
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     2
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     3
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     3
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     3
Constitutional Authority Statement...............................     4
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     4

                          PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    The purpose of H.R. 5646 is to study and promote the use of 
energy efficient computer servers in the United States.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Computer data center growth results in increased electrical 
demand. Energy efficiency at computer data centers can reduce 
electricity costs and reduce the rate of growth of electricity 
usage at computer data centers. H.R. 5646 provides for a study 
of this electricity usage.

                                HEARINGS

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce has not held hearings 
on the legislation.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce met in open markup session and ordered a Committee 
Print, to study and promote the use of energy efficient 
computer servers in the United States, reported to the House, 
without amendment, by a voice vote, a quorum being present. A 
request by Mr. Barton to allow a report to be filed on a bill 
to be introduced by Mr. Rogers, and that the actions of the 
Committee be deemed as actions on that bill, was agreed to by 
unanimous consent.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 
There were no record votes taken in connection with ordering 
the Committee Print reported. A motion by Mr. Barton to order 
the Committee Print reported to the House, without amendment, 
was agreed to by a voice vote.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee has not held oversight 
or legislative hearings on this legislation.

         STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    The goal of H.R. 5646 is to study and promote energy 
efficient data centers and computer servers.

   NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 
5646, to study and promote the use of energy efficient computer 
servers in the United States, would result in no new or 
increased budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax 
expenditures or revenues.

                        COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared 
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:

                                                     June 22, 2006.
Hon. Joe Barton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5646, a bill to 
study and promote the use of energy efficient computer servers 
in the United States.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Susanne S. 
Mehlman.
            Sincerely,
                                          Donald B. Marron,
                                                   Acting Director.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 5646--A bill to study and promote the use of energy efficient 
        computer servers in the United States

    H.R. 5646 would require the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) to conduct a study of energy consumption at computer 
centers operated by the federal government and private 
entities. The study would include a review and analysis of cost 
saving measures and recommendations for adopting energy 
efficient computer centers. This legislation also would require 
EPA to produce this study no later than 90 days after enactment 
of the bill.
    Based on information from EPA, CBO estimates that 
implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 in fiscal 
year 2007, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. 
Potential savings that might result from implementing any 
recommendations from the EPA study would depend on the results 
of that study and on subsequent appropriation action consistent 
with such recommendations. Enacting this legislation would not 
affect direct spending or receipts.
    H.R. 5646 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Susanne S. 
Mehlman. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that the 
Constitutional authority for this legislation is provided in 
Article I, section 8, clause 3, which grants Congress the power 
to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the several 
States, and with the Indian tribes.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

             SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Study

    Section 1 requires the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA), through the Energy Star program, to submit to Congress 
within 90 days a study analyzing the growth and energy 
consumption of data centers. Specifically, the study should 
include items such as growth trends associated with data 
centers, analysis of industry usage of energy efficient 
microchips, potential cost savings associated with the use of 
energy efficient data centers and servers, potential cost 
savings to the energy supply chain associated with energy 
efficient data centers and servers and their impact on the 
electric grid, overview of current government incentives, and 
recommendations for incentives and voluntary programs to 
encourage use of energy efficient data centers and computing.

Section 2. Sense of Congress

    Section 2 is a sense of Congress that states it is in the 
best interest of the United States for purchasers of computer 
servers to give a high priority to energy efficiency.

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    This legislation does not amend any existing Federal 
statute.

                                  
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