Policy

Steve Capanna, Selin Devranoglu and Joe Loper, May 2008

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires agencies to purchase energy-efficient products. Government shopping websites are likewise required to only list energy-efficient products. A Review of Federal Agency Compliance with Energy-Efficient Procurement Laws, a new report from the Alliance to Save Energy, suggests that government agency compliance rates with these requirements remain extremely low. The report offers several recommendations to help federal agencies meet these requirements, which, if followed, would save hundreds of millions of dollars annually and would significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Nils Petermann and Jeffrey Harris, April 2008

The energy saving goals of the federal government require deployment of advanced energy-saving technologies. In its new report, Deploying New Technologies to Increase Energy Savings in the Federal Sector, the Alliance to Save Energy gives an overview of near-term opportunities to deploy promising new technologies and recommends strategies to enable agencies to effectively coordinate the introduction of those technologies.

Vestal Tutterow, Alexander Filippov and Jeffrey Harris, April 2008

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 imposed on federal agencies increased energy efficiency requirements for new building design. Energy-Efficient New Federal Buildings: Awareness and Implementation of Federal Building Standards and Case Studies, a new report from the Alliance to Save Energy, provides a summary of how agencies are working to comply with the requirements and suggests a number of actions that can be undertaken to assist federal personnel in their efforts. Upcoming requirements from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 are also discussed.

Every year in the United States, buildings are responsible for 38% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy use, and 70% of electricity use. Building energy codes are a key tool in reducing the two-fifths of U.S. energy use.

On April 10 2008, Alliance President Kateri Callahan and Director of Policy Lowell Ungar participated in two briefings about building energy codes as a response to climate change. Presentations from those briefings are available here.

Preparing Year 2007 Tax Returns? If you made energy efficiency home improvements or bought a more fuel-efficient vehicle, the Alliance's energy-efficiency home and vehicle tax credit information could be worth hundreds of dollars to you. Additional information is available through the Tax Incentives Assistance Project Web site.