The Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced steps to both electrify and cut the amount of emissions from new or newly renovated federal buildings.
According to a Dec. 7 news release, this proposed emissions standard is projected to have a yearly savings of $8 million and would decrease carbon emissions in the long-term.
“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,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the 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.”
Federal buildings will need to reduce onsite emissions by 90% relative to to the 2003 levels starting in 2025, according to the release. In 2030, the goal is to fully decarbonize the on-site emissions. The end goal for President Joe Biden is to have net-zero emissions in federal buildings by 2045.
Buildings are a huge part of the greenhouse gas emissions around the country, the release reported. Fossil fuels account for more than 25% of federal emissions. If this rule is enacted, it is expected carbon emissions will be reduced by 1.86 million metric tons in federal buildings over the next 30 years. Methane emissions are expected to be decreased by 22.8 thousand tons, which is about the same amount as 300,000 homes in a year.
The Biden-Harris administration also announced the first-ever energy and climate performance standard for the 300,000 federal buildings around the country, according to the release. This standard and the proposed DOE rule are intended to decarbonize new and old federal buildings alike.
