FACT BRIEF

Is Dell turning down orders for some new computers from residents in states with more stringent energy consumption rules?

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

By Austin Tannenbaum

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YES

Recent energy efficiency regulations appear to prevent Dell from selling certain configurations of two of its energy-intensive gaming computers in six states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Dell expanded on the matter as it pertains to California, stating,

“This was driven by the California Energy Commission Tier 2 implementation that defined a mandatory energy efficiency standard for PCs...put into effect on July 1, 2021.”

The California regulations were passed in 2016 in an effort to meet climate policy goals, and have been phased in over time.

Given the rapid growth of computing’s energy consumption, which doubles “approximately every three years,” the Semiconductor Industry Association warned that computing may become unsustainable by 2040. By requiring computers to be efficient, the hope is that more computing can be powered with less energy.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Dell Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop

The Register Dell won’t ship energy-hungry PCs to California and five other US states due to power regulations

Semiconductor Industry Association Rebooting the IT revolution: A call to action

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