A processing element (PE) includes a processing unit (PU) and a number of attached processing units (APUs). The instruction set of each APU is divided a priori into a number of types, each type associated with a different amount of heat generation. Each APU keeps track of the amount of each type of instruction executed over a time period, --the power information, --and provides this power information to the PU. The PU then performs power management as a function of the provided power information from each APU, --such as directing a particular APU to enter an idle state to reduce power consumption.