The document discusses the potential environmental benefits of cloud computing in government. It notes that (1) a 2009 executive order directs federal agencies to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including through implementing best practices for efficient data center management. It also states that (2) the 2010 federal budget aims to transform IT infrastructure through virtualizing data centers, consolidating operations, and adopting a cloud computing model to reduce long-term costs. Finally, it provides an overview of cloud computing, identifying potential benefits like cost reductions and increased flexibility but also concerns around standards, security, and control.

1. Is Cloud Computing Green ?
Kevin L. Jackson
Director, Cloud Services
NJVC, LLC

2. Presidential Executive Order 13514
October 5, 2009
 Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance
 Section 1. Policy. In order to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's
prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, and safeguard the
health of our environment, the Federal Government must lead by example. It is therefore the
policy of the United States that Federal agencies shall increase energy efficiency; measure,
report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities; …..
 Sec. 2. Goals for Agencies. In implementing the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, and
preparing and implementing the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan called for in section
8 of this order, the head of each agency shall:
◦ …..
◦ (i) promote electronics stewardship, in particular by:
 …..
 (v) implementing best management practices for energy-efficient management of
servers and Federal data centers; and

3. President Obama FY 2010 Budget
"Of the investments that will involve up-front costs to be recouped in outyear savings, cloud-computing is a
prime case in point.The Federal Government will transform its Information Technology Infrastructure by
virtualizing data centers, consolidating data centers and operations, and ultimately adopting a cloud-
computing business model. Initial pilots conducted in collaboration with Federal agencies will serve as test
beds to demonstrate capabilities, including appropriate security and privacy protection at or exceeding current
best practices, developing standards, gathering data, and benchmarking costs and performance.The pilots will
evolve into migrations of major agency capabilities from agency computing platforms to base agency IT
processes and data in the cloud. Expected savings in the outyears, as more agencies reduce their costs of
hosting systems in their own data centers, should be many times the original investment in this area."

4. Federal Cloud Computing Initiative (FCCI)

5. Cloud Computing
 Not a new technology but a new approach in the provisioning and consumption of
information technology
 A services oriented architecture (SOA) implemented typically on a virtualized infrastructure
(compute, storage, networks) using commodity components coupled with highly automated
controls enable the five essential characteristics of cloud computing.
 The “sale” is consultative based on the business model change, not on the technology
Key Benefits Key Concerns
 Significant cost reductions  Standards
 Reduced time to capability  Portability
 Increased flexibility  Control/Availability
 Elastic scalability  Security
 Increase service quality  IT Policy
 Increased security  Management / Monitoring
 Ease of technology refresh  Ecosystem
 Ease of collaboration
 Increased efficiency

14. Is Cloud Computing Green Computing?
I’ll tell you in a few years.

15. Kevin L. Jackson
NJVC, LLC
Kevin.jackson@njvc.com
(703) 335-0830