Demonstrating how green-tech awareness is touched all levels of government, Erie County, New York has passed a law requiring county officials to purchase Energy Star appliances when possible. Every so often, I’ll google the term “green technology,” just to see what’s going on in the green-tech-o-sphere. An interesting nugget popped up today: Erie County, New York (population of around 925,000) has passed a law requiring county officials to purchase Energy Star appliances when possible. OK, so in and of itself, that’s not Earth-shattering news. Perhaps Earth-hugging news, though. But more important, it’s a good example of how green-tech awareness has infiltrated the consciousness of politicians at not only federal and state levels, but also local levels. The move is good news for Erie County, because it means lower energy bills. It also good news for companies like Dell, Fujitsu, and HP, and others that have been working diligently to keep up with the latest Energy Star standards for PCs and laptops. (Of course, the law applies to all other types of appliances that earn Energy Star ratings, including air-conditioning units, lighting, and the refrigerators and televisions that might show up Erie County government building’s break rooms.) It’s difficult to keep a tab on what individual cities and counties are doing, but if you happen to live in one that’s passed similar laws, please drop me a line and let me know (or comment below). Technology Industry