General Services Administration and Department of Defense seek industry input on potential record-setting federal purchase of clean electricity

February 09, 2024

RFI to inform consideration of major carbon pollution-free electricity procurement for federal agencies in several mid-Atlantic and Midwest states and the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD), is seeking suppliers that could provide federal facilities in several mid-Atlantic and Midwest states with 100% carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030. The clean electricity procurement - slated for later this year - would be one of the federal government’s largest-ever clean electricity purchases. 

The Request for Information (RFI) that GSA and DoD published today requests input to inform the government’s procurement planning for this effort. Transitioning to 100% CFE will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s federal sustainability goals, catalyze America’s clean energy industries and jobs, and build healthier communities.  

“The federal government is a steady customer prepared to make long-term investments. This procurement will mark a key milestone as we continue to incentivize more production and delivery of clean energy,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We’re using the government’s buying power to spur demand for clean, carbon pollution-free electricity, and we’re partnering with industry to drive toward the triple win of good jobs, lower costs for taxpayers, and a healthier planet for future generations.”

“This is an exciting time for us,” said Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment. “Two years ago, when President Biden signed Executive Order 14057, we knew DoD would be a big part of demonstrating U.S. leadership by greening federal government operations. Today’s announcement will help facilitate grid transformation to address the climate crisis and to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity that ensures mission resilience for DoD operations.”

“President Biden directed the federal government to use its scale and procurement power, as the nation’s largest energy consumer, to support the growth of America’s clean energy industry and clean energy jobs, and do so in ways that are good for our taxpayers and our communities,” said Andrew Mayock, Federal Chief Sustainability Officer in the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Through our federal demand for locally-made clean electricity, we will spur new clean electricity production, which is good for our climate, our economy, and our national security.” 

The joint GSA-DoD RFI seeks information from contractors who could offer CFE for federal civilian and defense agencies located in the territory where PJM Interconnection is the regional transmission operator. PJM coordinates electricity transmission through an area of about 65 million people that includes all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Through this procurement, GSA and DoD anticipate seeking an average of about 2.7 million megawatt hours (MWh) annually of CFE and associated Energy Attribute Certificates. 

“Now we are in the process of actualizing that goal in part through the partnership we have undertaken with GSA in the PJM electricity market, putting the purchasing power of the whole of government to work and developing economies of scale. Together, we look forward to continuing to work with industry, state and federal policy officials, and utility regulators as we work to achieve the President’s goals and create a cleaner, more reliable grid for all Americans,” Owens said.

In conjunction with the RFI, GSA plans to host an Industry Day event Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C., for those interested to learn more.

Background:

With more than 300,000 buildings and 600,000 vehicles, the U.S. Government is the nation’s largest energy consumer. In December 2021, President Biden issued the Federal Sustainability Plan, which directed the Government to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, energy efficient buildings, and carbon pollution-free electricity. In particular, the Plan directs the Government to transition to 100% CFE by 2030, at least half of which will be locally supplied clean energy to meet 24/7 hourly-matched demand. Over the past three years, the U.S. Government has signed agreements to provide federal facilities in 16 states with 100% CFE by 2030, which will increase the U.S. Government’s reliance on clean energy from 38% to 47% en route to 100% by 2030. 

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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.