Policy Center
FEDERAL FACILITIES
The federal government is one of the largest real estate owners on the planet, spending roughly $6 billion per year in taxpayer money on energy costs for buildings it owns, such as federal office centers, courthouses, diplomatic missions, laboratories and military facilities.
The federal government can make a significant contribution towards energy savings and carbon reduction by requiring aggressive energy savings. This also helps spur industry to develop new technologies and designs that can then be deployed in the private sector.
Current laws require that GSA and other federal agencies that own buildings meet certain energy saving targets for new buildings, but the greatest potential for reducing the federal government’s energy consumption lies with retrofitting its existing buildings.
Since federal buildings are designed to last for 50 to 100 years, identifying ways to help them save energy over the long run will improve the environment and save taxpayer money.
Policy Ideas
GREEN Building Jobs Act of 2021 (S. 832)
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to fund job-creating improvements in energy and resiliency for Federal buildings managed by the General Services Administration, to enable a portfolio of clean buildings by 2030.
Green Energy for Federal Buildings Act (​H.R.1327)
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to update the Federal purchase requirement to ensure the use of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, and for other purposes.
POLICY HIGHLIGHT
GSA Approves Principles for Low Embodied Cardbon Buildings
Earlier this year, the Green Building Advisory Committee (GBAC), an advisory body to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), approved a series of procurement principles to enable a shift to low embodied carbon building materials and approaches.
Resources
Research
​
​
Key Federal Agencies and Committees
​
-
GSA Federal High-Performance Buildings
​
​