The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken a significant step towards reducing emissions from federal buildings by finalizing standards that aim to decrease emissions for new and renovated federal buildings across the nation. This move is expected to slash harmful carbon emissions by 2 million metric tons.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted the administration's commitment to energy efficiency, stating, "The Biden-Harris Administration is practicing what we preach. Just as we are helping households and businesses across the nation save money by saving energy, we are doing the same in our own federal buildings."

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory emphasized the importance of federal leadership in promoting energy efficiency and climate resilience, stating, “President Biden has charged the Federal Government to lead by example by transforming its footprint of over 300,000 buildings to be more energy efficient and climate resilient, which means cleaner air and safer communities across the country.”

The new rule, which implements the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, mandates federal agencies to phase out fossil fuel usage in new federal building construction or major renovation. This includes achieving a 90% reduction in fossil fuel use for new projects started between fiscal years 2025 and 2029, with a goal of completely eliminating on-site fossil fuel usage in new projects beginning in 2030.

DOE estimates that over the next 30 years, the new rule will not only reduce carbon emissions from federal buildings by 2 million metric tons and methane emissions by 16 thousand tons but also lead to cost savings and infrastructure improvements.

The final rule, in conjunction with Executive Order 14057 and other Federal Sustainability Plan actions, aims to strengthen progress towards achieving net-zero emissions in federal buildings by 2045. DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will provide agencies with guidance and support to help them meet the targets set by the new rule.

The DOE engaged with a wide spectrum of federal stakeholders during the development of the rule, reflecting a collaborative effort to accelerate clean energy deployment within the federal building stock.

For more information on the Clean Energy Rule, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Clean Energy Rule webpage.