In a June 3 Executive Order, President Clinton directed federal agencies to cut energy use 35 percent by 2010 compared to 1985 levels, expanding the current goal of 30 percent (of 1990 levels) by 2005. When the measures are fully implemented, taxpayers will save $750 million annually. Reportedly, about half the goal has been met. The federal government is the largest U.S. energy user, consuming 32 percent more per square foot than the average private sector building, and spends about $4.2 billion a year.
The new policy covers about 500,000 government buildings, ranging from the Pentagon (which recently installed a 15 kW PV system) to local social security administration offices. The Defense Department accounts for 75 percent of the energy used.
The Order also states that each agency must expand its use of renewable energy. As part of the Million Solar Roofs initiative, the President said the federal government is looking to install 2,000 solar energy systems at federal facilities by the end of 2000, and 20,000 solar energy systems at federal facilities by 2010. Provisions included in earlier drafts would have mandated the purchase of renewable energy to meet a minimum share of federal electricity needs.
SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) just signed a service agreement to sells 100 percent renewable electricity outside its service territory – to the U.S. EPA laboratory located in Richmond, California. The three-year agreement allows SMUD, for the first time, to replace conventional power with GreenergySM, SMUD’s green power program. The EPA is the first federal agency to purchase 100 percent renewable energy to supply a facility.
SMUD will sell the EPA about 1.8 million kW hours of electricity a year, enough to serve 200 average Sacramento homes. 60 percent will come from local geothermal energy and 40 percent will come from local landfill gas. 6,000 customers participate in SMUD’s program, considered one of the most successful in the nation. Customers pay only an extra penny per kilowatt-hour above their regular rate, or about $7 per month.
DoE awarded $1.5 million to 26 renewable energy projects across
the U-S. Projects which use off-the-shelf systems and energy-savings performance contracts got priority.
SMUD: [sorry this link is no longer available]
You can read the Executive order in the White House Briefing Room
DOE Contracts: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Loading...