New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Chairman, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public

Buildings and Emergency Management of the Transportation Committee has jurisdiction over General Service Administration, GSA, activities and programs as the property manager for the Federal Government. GSA itself owns over 1,500 Federal buildings comprising over 175 million square feet of space. The agency leases another 7,100 buildings with a total rentable area of over 176 million square feet of space. Because GSA is a lease holder for the vast majority of office space controlled by the Federal Government, the agency can also have a pivotal role in energy conservation in the private sector as well.

According to a September 2006 Department of Energy report, the public and private building sector together account for an amazing 39 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, more than both the transportation and industry sectors. Even more surprising public and private sector buildings, like those under our jurisdiction, are responsible for 71 percent of U.S. electricity consumption. These buildings in the United States alone account for 9.8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. U.S. buildings are responsible for nearly the same amount of carbon emissions as all sectors of the economies of Japan, France, and the United Kingdom combined.

The Federal Government is the world's single largest energy consumer and the most prolific in wasting energy in the world today. Yet, for years our Government has pursued and achieved energy savings that demonstrate that we are capable of moving with far greater results. Primary energy use by the Federal Government, for example, fell 13 percent during the past 20 years, with a 25 percent decrease in energy costs in real terms, despite a 27 percent increase in fuel prices in the U.S. in 2005. In this bill, we begin to build on these results.

Subtitle A of Title VI offers simple yet very effective measures to immediately effect energy consumption in Federal buildings. The title includes a provision to direct the Administrator of General Services to install in newly constructed or newly renovated Federal buildings energy efficient lighting fixtures and light bulbs. Further, it also directs the Administrator of General Services, in the course of routine maintenance of Federal buildings, to replace existing bulbs and fixtures with more energy efficient fixtures and bulbs.

Title VI also requires that GSA include in the prospectuses for construction or alteration, submitted to Congress for approval, information about building energy performance and renewable energy systems. This provision will enable the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to examine anticipated energy consumption in new Federal buildings to make sure the buildings meet the highest standards possible.

Further Title VI authorizes the Administrator of GSA to sign utility contracts for not more than 30 years. This one provision will allow the GSA a longer time frame to hedge against increasing electricity prices in the market. The longstanding trend in electricity pricing is ever-increasing inflationary pressure as time advances. Thus a longer power purchase agreement, PPA, secures a fixed rate for a longer period and provides greater insulation against inflationary trends.

As a final provision, Title VI contains the language to authorize the installation of the photovoltaic wall at the Department of Energy headquarters building here on Independence Ave. and provides funding for this historic project from the Federal building fund at the General Services.

Subtitle C of Title VI deals with the Architect of the Capitol and authorizes the Architect of the Capitol to perform a feasibility study regarding the installation of a photovoltaic roof on the Rayburn House Office Building. Further Subtitle C authorizes the Architect to construct a fuel tank and pumping stations for E-85 fuel at or within close proximity of the Capitol grounds. The Architect is directed to include energy efficient measures and renewable energy in the Capitol Complex Master Plan and transmit a report to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the energy efficient measures, climate mitigation measures, and other environmental measures included in the Master Plan.

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