Land port of entry modernization projects bolster security, advance clean manufacturing through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

March 14, 2024

Investments will result in thousands of jobs, nation’s first net-zero land port of entry

WASHINGTON DC - The U.S. General Services Administration today announced details of its plan to invest over $1 billion through the President’s Investing in America agenda to modernize dozens of federal Land Ports of Entry (LPOEs), while boosting domestic clean manufacturing and sustainable technologies. Funding through the Inflation Reduction Act will allow 38 LPOE projects to utilize clean construction materials and state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. Twenty-three of these projects will fully electrify standard building operations. 

“By incorporating clean construction materials and clean energy technologies into these projects, we’re not only supporting bringing these border stations into the 21st century - we’re also supporting the clean energy industries that will lead our economy in the future,” said Administrator Robin Carnahan. “These critical investments from the President’s Investing in America Agenda help strengthen security while creating good-paying jobs, reducing harmful emissions and boosting domestic manufacturing.”

The federal government is the largest purchaser in the world, with an annual purchasing power of over $630 billion. Through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean Initiative, the federal government is harnessing that procurement power for the first time to prioritize the use of American-made, lower-carbon construction materials. 

The LPOE Inflation Reduction Act investments include roughly $850 million for low-embodied carbon materials and $60 million for emerging and sustainable technologies for 26 major land port of entry modernization projects. In addition to these modernization projects, GSA is investing another $100 million in low-embodied carbon materials for 13 land port of entry paving projects.

“Under President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, agencies are leading by example to make government operations more efficient, resilient, and sustainable,” said Andrew Mayock, the Federal Government’s Chief Sustainability Officer and co-chair of the Federal Buy Clean Task Force. “As part of our Buy Clean Initiative, the Biden-Harris Administration has begun procurement of over $4 billion in American-made clean construction materials as it works to make Federal buildings more efficient, all-electric, and powered by 100% carbon-free electricity. This investment, part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, is catalyzing America’s manufacturing industries, creating thousands of good-paying jobs, and building healthier communities.”

GSA identified the projects based on each facility’s age, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection’s security needs. These Land Port of Entry investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will contribute to local economies by supporting 11,500 good-paying jobs annually across the United States.  

Sustainability outcomes include:

• Reduced operational emissions - Altogether, these projects will reduce the carbon emissions from facility operations by over 2 million metric tons of CO₂. That’s the equivalent of taking about 500,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
• Twenty-three all-electric buildings - Out of the 25 projects, 23 will operate without onsite fossil fuels, and all 23 will meet the Federal Building Performance Standard for full electrification.
• Four net-zero LPOEs - Following the renovations, four of the LPOEs will achieve net-zero emissions by reducing emissions through electrification and implementing efficiency measures such as solar arrays and ground source heat pumps to save taxpayer dollars and energy.
• Low embodied carbon avoidance - Twenty-five major modernization projects and 13 paving projects will use LEC funds for an estimated 920,000 pounds of asphalt, 172,000 cubic yards of concrete, 550,000 thousand square feet of glass, and 18.1 million pounds of steel with a combined estimated 9,400 metric tons of embodied carbon avoidance.

BIL Land Ports of Entry and Paving Projects receiving IRA funds are listed below:

*IRA funds are approximate and subject to change

The IRA includes $3.4 billion for GSA to use its buying power to promote the development and manufacturing of low-embodied carbon construction materials, and to make federal facilities more sustainable and cost-efficient. GSA’s IRA projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA’s efforts in achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045.  

The BIL includes $3.4 billion for GSA to build and modernize land ports of entry on the country’s northern and southern borders, which will improve commerce and trade, enhance security, create good-paying construction jobs and incorporate innovative sustainability features. This funding also dedicates $100 million to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mission requirements.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing over $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

For more information about GSA’s Inflation Reduction Act projects, visit Inflation Reduction Act | GSA

For more information about GSA’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects, visit Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | GSA