New Federal Goals for Energy Efficiency and Conservation

After committing almost $50 billion to new energy priorities through the Recovery Act, President Obama has made sure the federal government will lead by example. On October 5th, he signed an Executive Order that lays out "sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance." The order requires federal agencies to "measure, manage, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions" and sets the following targets:

* 30% reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;

* 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020;

* 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015;

* 95% of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements;

* Implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement;

* Implementation of the stormwater provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, section 438; and

* Development of guidance for sustainable Federal building locations in alignment with the Livability Principles put forward by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.