Google's commitment to going green sprouted a new bud today as the company unveiled its utility company partnerships in its PowerMeter project.

The Google PowerMeter, announced earlier this year, vows to help reduce individual household energy consumption by up to 15 percent. Equipment is installed in a utility company's box that transmits and tracks energy consumption data right to your iGoogle homepage. It's just like reading the meter yourself, except you won't have to put pants on.

Before today, the Google PowerMeter was just a prototype, but with its first partnerships announced, a big reveal is expected later this year. Google has shaken hands with:

• San Diego Gas & Electric (California)
• TXU Energy (Texas)
• JEA (Florida)
• Reliance Energy (India)
• Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (Wisconsin)
• White River Valley Electric Cooperative (Missouri)
• Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Canada)
• Glasgow EPB (Kentucky)

Google has also opened its doors to partnerships with companies that can enable the implementation of its software. Right now, Google is working with Itron, a meter and data management company that serves more than 8000 utilities.

The Google PowerMeter project is poised for great success -- especially in Google's PR department -- as the world becomes more conscious of its environmental impact and wallets tighten in the face of the Great Recession.

Sources: http://www.pcworld.com