Google sets a High Bar for Tech Industry, discloses 2010 2,259,998 MWh energy use and 1,457,982 tons CO2e carbon emissions

The data center industry is not known for its openness and transparency of its data center’s environmental impact.  Greenpeace and other environmentalist group have made the point that just because a service is in the clouds people need to think about the environmental impact.

Google has taken a leadership position that is going to make others scramble for a response.  What are the equivalent numbers from Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Yahoo, AOL?  Is this a tipping point where it will be expected that technology companies disclose their energy use and carbon impact?

These numbers can be hard to grasp, so Google has created a set of numbers that an individual can relate to on the environmental impact of 100 searches.

Google is showing even though it is a big user of data center energy it is a small target when you look at the big picture.