Green Buildings

GSA: 75 years of adapting to the changing needs of agencies

Robin Carnahan, the administrator of GSA, explains why the agency’s mission has remained the same over the last 75 years, but how it goes about has changed.

Federal Report

General Services Administration

Robin Carnahan and Chris Womack sign an agreement. Other officials are in the background.

Federal agencies in three southern states will get cleaner energy

Defense

Agencies may need to buy up to 30K electric vehicles annually to meet green government goals

Facilities/Construction

White House issues federal workforce to-do list to meet green-government goals

Workforce

Amelia Brust/Federal News Network

Can government go green without overhauling procurement rules?

Green Buildings

FILE - Framed by the Manhattan skyline, electricians with IBEW Local 3 install solar panels on top of the Terminal B garage at LaGuardia Airport, Nov. 9, 2021, in the Queens borough of New York. President Joe Biden is promising “strong executive action” to combat climate change, despite dual setbacks that have restricted his ability to regulate carbon emissions and boost clean energy such as wind and solar power. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Environmental spending bill tees up multi-year federal hiring, training investments

Hiring/Retention

In this undated image provided by Climeworks AG shows a geothermal power plant near Reykjavik, Iceland. The Iceland plant, called Orca, is the largest such facility in the world, capturing about 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. (Arni Saeberg/Climeworks AG via AP)

Yet another avenue for trying to make federal buildings go green

Green Buildings

Federal Sustainability Plan ‘rebuilding’ momentum on green government goals

Facilities/Construction

In this photo made on Thursday, May 6, 2021, a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach E is seen as it is charging at a Ford dealer in Wexford, Pa. Taking sustainability efforts to the next level by switching to clean energy or purchasing an electric vehicle might feel daunting. Several federal incentives, such as the electric vehicle tax credit and home energy tax credits, may help offset the cost of the commitment for those who made upgrades last year or for those looking to take the leap in 2022. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Navy cutting back emissions, moving toward green vehicles in coming years

Navy

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 file photo, sunlight reflects off solar panels on the roof of the older part of the Alabama Power building in Birmingham, Ala. The fees imposed by the Alabama Power company on customers who generate their own electricity with rooftop or on-site solar panels are now the subject of a federal lawsuit against the state's regulators. Environmental groups argue that punishing fees are purposely discouraging the adoption of solar power in the sun-rich state. (Bernard Troncale/The Birmingham News via AP)

Energy Department issues plan to safely and affordably replace old solar panels

Green Buildings

Expect more shifts in IT procurement language to reflect sustainability goals

Contracting

Data centers pose prime opportunity to cut federal electricity consumption

Currently data centers account for approximately 2% of total U.S. energy use, equivalent to 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of a typical commercial…

Big Data

FILE - This photo from Aug. 15, 2016, shows offshore wind turbines near Block Island, R.I. The Biden administration said Wednesday it will hold its first offshore wind auction next month, offering nearly 500,000 acres off the coast of New York and New Jersey for wind energy projects that could produce enough electricity to power nearly 2 million homes. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Biden administration doubles down on greener energy for agencies, USPS electric vehicles

The Biden administration is in the market for greener sources of electricity for the federal government, a significant step in a decades-long plan set…

Agency Oversight

FILE - Water laps the bottom level of four homes in Harbor Island, S.C., Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, which had to be abandoned after years of beach erosion and damage from Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Facing state budgets that are flush with cash, Democratic and Republican governors alike want to spend part of their windfalls on projects aimed at slowing climate change and guarding against its consequences, from floods and fires to cleaning up dirty air. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

New Federal Sustainability Plan harnesses fewer fossil fuels, more procurement power to fight climate change

Management

The new Federal Sustainability Plan released in December charges agencies to harness procurement authority to reach 100% carbon pollution-free energy at federal facilities by 2030.