Google Inc and Intel Corporation are leading a coalition of technology businesses and environmental groups to help conserve electricity and curb global warming emissions by making the computers and servers more energy efficient.

The environment-friendly computing initiative, organised by the two companies, has set ambitious industry targets to increase the energy efficiency of computing gear over the next four years.

The target aims to cut by half the amount of electricity computers consume by using existing power-saving technologies by 2010. Currently, the average PC wastes about half of the power it consumes, while the average server wastes about one-third.

Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president for Intel''s digital enterprise group, said, "Let''s create a more efficient IT industry by driving up the efficiency of computers. We think we can have huge savings in terms of carbon footprint and energy costs."

The initiative hopes to achieve savings of over $5.5 billion in electricity costs by 2010 and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions of 54 million tons that contribute to climate change. Experts say these emissions are equal to eliminating 11 million cars or 20 large coal-fired power plants each year.

According to Gelsinger energy-efficiency technology would initially raise costs of computers by about $20 and servers by about $30, but users would recoup the costs through lower electricity bills.