System and Method for Enabling Energy Efficient Ethernet Networks with Time-Sensitive Protocols

A system and method for enabling energy efficient Ethernet networks with time-sensitive protocols. Time-stamped packets generated by a time-sensitive protocol rely on fixed latency in a transit time through a transmission subsystem. An energy efficiency control policy in a network device governs a transmission of time-stamped packets in accordance with energy efficiency initiatives controlled by the energy efficiency control policy. In one embodiment, time-stamped packets can be dropped or modified to account for transitions by the transmission subsystem into an energy saving state. In another embodiment, transitions by the transmission subsystem into or out of an energy saving state can be impacted by the existence of time-stamped packets scheduled for transmission.