The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a USD104m investment in energy conservation and clean energy projects at 31 federal facilities, as reported by ESG Today on January 22. These measures include boosting building electrification, increasing on-site solar, and installing heat bumps. As an example, the Pentagon will benefit from the USD104m allocation to install rooftop solar panels, a heat-recovery heat pump system, and solar thermal panels to reduce its reliance on natural gas and fuel oil combustion systems. According to the DOE, the first year of operation for these 31 selected projects is anticipated to result in savings exceeding USD29m in energy and water costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) equivalent to over 23,000 cars, and cut energy usage comparable to the annual electricity consumption of nearly 30,000 homes.

The substantial investment forms the first of three distributions from a USD250m funding initiative launched by the Biden administration in 2023. The initiative is designed to help federal agencies implement and advance net-zero building projects, through the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program. The AFFECT program aligns with the federal government’s environmental targets of reducing 50% of emissions from 2008 levels by 2032 and achieving a net-zero federal building portfolio spanning 300,000 buildings by 2045. Furthermore, the USD104m investment marks the Biden administration’s latest move to position the Federal Government as a sustainability leader. Last November, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced a USD2bn investment to purchase low-embodied carbon construction materials for more than 150 federal building projects.

Sources:

https://www.esgtoday.com/u-s-invests-over-100-million-in-projects-to-decarbonize-federal-buildings/

https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-more-104-million-advance-net-zero-projects-federal

https://www.sustainability.gov/federalsustainabilityplan/buildings.html

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/us-invests-2-billion-lower-carbon-construction-federal-buildings-2023-11-06/