Legislation (S-1830) to compel the federal government to become more energy-efficient has cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Committee ranking member and sponsor Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, cited Energy Department data showing that the government is the world’s largest institutional consumer of energy, accounting for 1.6 percent of the nation’s energy consumption. “Electricity at federal buildings accounts for almost half of this usage. Improving energy efficiency is not only good for the environment; it can also produce savings for taxpayers,” she said in a statement.
The bill would enable government agencies at all levels to share energy-saving technologies; create a Chief Conservation Officer within each federal agency at the SES level; and allow state and local government to purchase “green” commodities and services from the GSA schedule.
