IT and the company electric bill

This week’s story on the cost reality of powering the data center makes it clear that, despite all the “green” hype, most IT executives haven’t yet or are only now beginning to place energy efficiency high on their criteria list when picking servers, storage devices or network gear. Experts attribute this in part to a lack of awareness of how much powering a company’s IT equipment costs. Plain and simple, IT executives often don’t see the electric bills. They’re not responsible for carrying the cost of the powering the IT infrastructure. Picking energy efficient gear doesn’t help their bottom lines. Looking at the results of a recent reader survey, most IT executives don’t even talk very often to the data center facilities managers. None of this is good, experts say. IT executives who aren’t aware of the impact their decisions can have on the data center’s power infrastructure and the company’s electric bill are in a vulnerable position. Next time they need to add more gear, they might find themselves surprised by the power infrastructure’s ability to support it or cost prohibitions. Do you agree with the experts who say IT must take responsibility for the data center power bill? Or not?