September 12, 2007—The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a new initiative to reduce energy intensity across the nationwide DOE complex by 30%, with the intent of saving about $90 million in taxpayer money per year. The federal government is reportedly the largest single user of energy in the US, and DOE is the second largest energy consumer of all civilian federal agencies.
DOE’s new Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) Initiative requires that DOE have a plan for all facilities by 2008 to reduce their energy intensity by 30%; that all facilities maximize their installation of onsite renewable energy projects or optimize their purchase of renewable electricity; that the entire Alternative Fuel Vehicles fleet operate exclusively on clean, alternative fuels; and that water use be benchmarked and monitored, in order to reduce consumption 16% by fiscal year 2008.
The new initiative places DOE on track to achieve the energy and water saving goals established by Executive Order 13423, which President Bush signed in January.
The new initiative also says that new construction, renovations, and 15% of existing buildings should incorporate the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings (a common set of sustainable principles for integrated design, energy performance, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and materials), ultimately aspiring to LEED Gold Certification. The LEED Green Building Rating System, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.
