Legislation has been introduced to require GSA to identify competencies that federal buildings personnel should possess and require that they demonstrate them.
The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 would require GSA to work with private industry and institutions of higher learning to create comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure that federal employees have the training to maintain federal buildings in a manner consistent with industry best practices.
GAO concluded last year that a lack of proper expertise and training was a major challenge for the federal government in reaching its energy reduction goals, and the bill’s sponsors argue it is needed to safeguard the $5.5 billion energy efficiency investment in federal infrastructure under the Recovery Act.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Reps. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., and Judy Biggert, R-Ill.
Carper also has introduced the Improving Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Use By Federal Agencies Act of 2010, a package of proposals intended to strengthen federal energy management efforts by publishing federal energy consumption data for individual facilities on a searchable website, and establishing a $500 million revolving fund to provide financial support for federal agency energy efficiency and renewable projects.