US, EU Raise Efficiency Standards for Office Equipment

"BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed today to implement new higher energy-efficiency specifications for computers, copiers and printers under the EU-US Energy Star Programme. ...

Manufacturers will apply to register their equipment as meeting the Energy Star standards. Most popular brands of computers are Energy Star qualified.

The new criteria are effective from July 1, and are expected to trigger electricity savings of 22 terawatt hours, TWh, or one billion kilowatt hours, during the next four to six years across the European Union."

Environment News Service had the story June 17, 2009.