GSA is using Recovery Act funds to improve the energy and environmental performance of its inventory, acting GSA administrator Paul Prouty told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently.
He said the agency would be investing in existing infrastructure to cut into repair and alteration backlogs, that the $5.5 billion in Recovery Act funds the agency received would lessen dependence on operating leases through an increase in government-owned solutions, and while spurring growth in the construction and real estate sectors, the money would achieve long-term improvements in energy efficient technologies, alternative energy solutions and green building technologies.
GSA recently sent to Congress a list of 254 projects to be completed with Recovery Act funds. The agency plans to invest $1 billion in new construction, $3.2 billion in modernization, and put $807 million toward limited scope green building projects.
According to Prouty, the agency plans to obligate $1 billion by August, and another $1 billion by the end of the calendar year. One criterion for project selection is the incorporation of high-performance features with an emphasis on energy conservation and renewable energy generation.
As an example of the kind of project the agency would invest in, Prouty cited the Bishop Henry Whipple federal building in Fort Snelling, Minn., a multi-tenant office building project where heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, as well as plumbing, electrical and life safety improvements are expected to deliver 24 percent decrease in energy use once the project is completed.
New construction and modernization projects would include adding thicker insulation than required by the newest energy codes in certain climates, and retrofitting or replacing less efficient windows.
