1. A method, in a data processing system, for directed resource optimization for power management, the method comprising: receiving, by a management mechanism in the data processing system, at least one of a set of static platform resource utilization characteristics that identifies operation parameters of a set of resources under no load and a set of dynamic platform resource utilization characteristics that identifies operation parameters of the set of resources under load associated with the data processing system thereby forming resource utilization characteristic information; determining, by the management mechanism, whether one or more resource usage conditions have been met for each resource in the set of resources using the resource utilization characteristic information, wherein the resource usage conditions identify one or more conditions under which a configuration of one or more resources in the set of resources needs to be modified; responsive to the one or more resource usage conditions being met, performing, by the management mechanism, a resource optimization to determine at least one of a first subset of resources in the set of resources to keep active and a second subset of resources in the set of resources to dynamically fold; and based on the resource optimization, performing, by the management mechanism, at least one of a virtual resource optimization in order to optimally schedule the first subset of resources by consolidation of at least one of resource activities, task, or workload or a physical resource optimization in order to dynamically fold the second subset of resources.