Federal buildings are struggling to keep pace with their energy reduction goals, according to an article in E&E.
In March President Obama signed an Executive Order calling for federal agencies to reduce energy use in federal buildings by 2.5 percent per year, from a 2015 baseline, through 2025.
Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Director Tim Unruh spoke at an Association of Climate Change Officers roundtable and said, "We were doing pretty decent, and then it kind of hit a wall, and we aren't entirely sure why," according to E&E.
Energy use in federal buildings had been trending downward since 2003, but in the last few years the trend has flattened out. Unruh cited some possible reasons for the stalling out. He said weather has played a role, and military service members returning home has also boosted energy use in federal buildings. He also said the proliferation of energy-sucking computers and other plug loads.
The Executive Order provides some guidance for how federal agencies can save energy including:
Photo of federal buildings via Shutterstock.