The White House Council on Environmental Quality on Wednesday issued a federal building performance standard requiring agencies to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30% of their building space by 2030.
The Department of Energy simultaneously proposed new standards limiting on-site emissions from new and newly renovated federal properties. Beginning in 2025, new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations would have to limit emissions to 90% of those recorded at federal properties in 2003.
The federal government owns 300,000 buildings.
The new rules come one year after President Biden issued an executive order announcing the goal to achieve federal energy sustainability while jumpstarting clean energy industries.
The administration’s long-term target is to achieve net-zero emissions at all federal buildings by 2045, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 1.86 million tons and methane emissions by 22,800 tons.
“Ridding pollution from our buildings and adopting clean electricity are some of the most cost-effective and future-oriented solutions we have to combat climate change,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a release. “For the first time ever, DOE is establishing a firm timetable to reduce the government’s carbon footprint in new and existing federal facilities — ensuring the Biden-Harris administration is leading by example in the effort to reach the nation’s ambitious climate goals.”
DOE will solicit comments on its proposal in the coming weeks and will host a webinar on Jan. 5 explaining in greater detail the scope of the rule and proposed timeline.