U.S. General Services Administration
Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $1 billion through investing in America agenda to make federal buildings cleaner and more energy efficient, support thousands of clean energy jobs
Leveraging private sector investment, Inflation Reduction Act funding for GSA expected to support 5,000 jobs per year. Ronald Reagan Building among more than 100 federal buildings to become all-electric or net-zero emissions.
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced plans to use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to upgrade federal buildings across the country with emerging and sustainable technologies. These plans will include electrifying the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center – one of the largest in GSA’s portfolio – through up to $13.5 million that will use clean energy technologies to lower energy costs, create good-paying local jobs, and reduce harmful carbon pollution.
The Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example to tackle the climate crisis through President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which establishes an ambitious path to achieve net-zero emissions from federal buildings by 2045.
By leveraging Inflation Reduction Act funds, GSA expects to more than double the $975 million investment in sustainable technologies, deploying a total of $1.9 billion in private and public funding to support sustainable technologies. This investment will avoid 2.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the equipment’s lifetime and will save enough energy to power over 300,000 American homes. At the same time, it will boost the American economy by supporting 5,000 jobs per year, adding $2.4 billion to U.S. GDP and avoiding $467 million in energy costs for American taxpayers over the next two decades.
“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re transforming federal buildings into models of next-generation clean energy innovation and creating good jobs in communities across the country,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “The energy and cost-saving upgrades we’re making here at the Reagan Building illustrate the transformative impact of these investments, and mark a major milestone toward achieving our ambitious sustainability goals.”
The Inflation Reduction Act funds will impact about 40 million square feet - about 20 percent - of GSA’s federal buildings portfolio and expand the agency’s sustainable building portfolio to 134 million square feet. Through these projects, 28 buildings will achieve net zero emissions and 100 more buildings will become all-electric (in addition to the approximately 200 that are already all-electric).
“The Inflation Reduction Act is enabling the building of America’s clean energy economy,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Today’s historic announcement shows how the federal government can catalyze climate action by setting a leading example, with the soon-to-be electrified Ronald Reagan Building.”
“President Biden set a high bar for Federal sustainability, and today’s announcement brings us one step closer toward meeting our net zero-emissions goal,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Electrifying federal buildings means cleaner air, good-paying jobs, and more resilient communities."
GSA plans to: leverage private sector funds through performance contracts such as Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Utility Energy Savings Contracts; make direct investments in building retrofits to maximize greenhouse gas reductions as well as energy and water savings; and expand building technology innovation programs such as the Green Proving Ground and Applied Innovation Learning Lab programs as well as electric vehicle infrastructure.
At the Reagan Building, plans include electrification of the entire complex through the installation of heat pumps as the primary heating source, eliminating onsite combustion emissions, and the use of steam onsite for space and water heating. The expanded project will incorporate emerging technologies, including installing 57,000 LED light bulbs, upgrading over 500 high efficiency transformers, and installing a reverse osmosis groundwater recovery system, which is estimated to save 35 million gallons of water annually. Overall the project is estimated to reduce energy use by 40 percent, reduce emissions by nearly 16,000 tons and avoid an estimated $6.3 million in energy costs annually.
GSA is one of the country’s largest landlords, and these projects will help the agency drive market transformation, with approximately 60 percent of its footprint meeting the White House’s Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings. The Inflation Reduction Act investments put GSA three-quarters of the way toward meeting the Federal Building Performance Standard released last year, which sets an ambitious goal to cut energy use while electrifying equipment and appliances in 30 percent of the building space owned by the federal government by 2030.
This funding will contribute toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s Climate Smart Buildings Initiative to set and meet emissions reductions targets for buildings, and will accelerate progress toward President Biden’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions in federal buildings by 2045.
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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 approximately $75 billion in annual 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.