1. A method for conserving electrical power in a telecommunications facility containing a plurality of like electrically powered hardware resources for transporting call traffic through the facility, said method comprising: (a) monitoring a traffic load being experienced by the facility; (b) selecting one or more of the hardware resources in response to the monitored traffic load, such that the selected hardware resources have a capacity sufficient to reliably transport the monitored traffic load thereover; and (c) consolidating call traffic in the selected hardware resources.