Topeka ? In the midst of a full-throttle energy debate in Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday helped launch a nationwide initiative to get state governments to reduce energy consumed by computers.

Sebelius and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, chairman of the National Governors Association, along with Google and Intel, said decreasing energy used by computers will reduce greenhouse gases.

“This is another great opportunity where states can help lead the way to a cleaner and more secure energy future,” Pawlenty said.

Sebelius said, “By taking actions to reduce the energy demands of our own equipment, we can effectively leverage the purchasing power of states to achieve improvements in our energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction efforts.”

Sebelius and Pawlenty said they will commit their states to purchase high-efficiency computer equipment, and educate state employees about reducing power use by computers.

In a typical desktop PC, nearly half the power from the outlet never reaches the computing components, but is wasted as dispersed heat, the NGA said. Simply allowing a computer to transition to a sleep mode when not in use would save energy, but most systems have this function disabled, the group said.

The NGA said if all states implement the initiatives, they could see a savings of $20 million in electric costs and reduction of nearly 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

In Kansas, Sebelius is in the middle of a fiery debate over energy. Her administration recently rejected plans for two 700-megawatt coal-fired plants; a decision that has prompted an angry reaction from some lawmakers and promises to be a point of contention in the legislative session that starts in January.