New efficiency bill pushes green capital

WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) -- A new bill would help Congress keep its promise to green the U.S. capital and lead by example.

The Federal Building Renewal and Energy Savings Act, introduced Monday by Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., would require regularly updated, comprehensive evaluations of energy and water savings for all large federal facilities.

Improving the energy efficiency of federal buildings would deliver multiple benefits for U.S. taxpayers and the nation's economy and energy security, while also helping to curb climate change, said the Alliance to Save Energy.

"Since the U.S. federal government is the world's single largest consumer of energy, there are many actions it can take to become more efficient," Pryor said. "The act would make the federal government a true leader on energy efficiency by expanding the scope of federal energy management and giving federal agencies the tools and resources they need for energy-efficiency upgrades."

The bill would also require agencies to implement all energy and water-saving measures and create a Web-based process for each agency and facility to self-certify its compliance with the energy and water-efficiency goals.

"The federal government can and should be the most influential model for using advanced energy-efficiency technologies and practices," said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. "While federal energy management over the last two decades has already resulted in over $1 billion in net annual savings to taxpayers, we have not yet 'wrung out' all the energy waste in federal facilities."