The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a series of actions to electrify the nation’s new and existing federal buildings, part of the broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions across all federal building operations by 2045.

What You Need To Know

  • The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a series of actions to electrify the nation’s new and existing federal buildings

  • Existing buildings will be required to “cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30% of their building space by the end of this decade”

  • Starting in 2025, new or recently renovated federal buildings must start to cut on-site emissions by 90% compared to 2003 levels

  • Also on Wednesday, the state of California announced it would join the administration’s National Building Performance Standards Coalition

The administration on Wednesday announced the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard, which will apply to already-existing facilities owned and operated by the federal government. Those sites will be required to “cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30% of their building space by the end of this decade,” Brenda Mallory, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, said in part. 

In order to do so, federal buildings must purchase made-in-America products like heat pumps, electric water heaters, electrical systems and more for a twofold impact: the requirements will spur the American economy by purchasing domestic products while also reducing the overall amount of emissions put into the atmosphere by aging buildings. 

“That means creating good jobs for American workers and a stronger foundation for American businesses to compete and win in the 21st century economy,” Mallory told reporters on Wednesday, later adding: “The benefits don't stop there because energy efficiency improvements and electrification improve indoor air quality and climate control.”

The second announcement, issued Wednesday by the Department of Energy, will apply to all new or recently renovated federal buildings. Starting in 2025, those buildings must start to cut on-site emissions by 90% compared to 2003 levels. Ultimately, the DOE rule will create a new standard to “fully decarbonize the on-site emissions in new federal buildings and major renovations” by 2030, according to a press release. 

“We're doing this for two reasons – obviously, the first is to walk the talk on climate action,” energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday. 

“There's another reason for these new federal standards, and it really is to lead by example,” she continued, adding: “By making all new federal buildings clean and electrified, we will be setting a gold standard for new construction all across America.” 

There are a number of ways new buildings can prepare for the more stringent emissions requirements, including by installing solar panels or other forms of renewable energy sources or installing other energy-efficient technologies, Granholm said. 

According to a 2020 report from the Congressional Research Service, the federal executive branch owns or leases approximately 127,000 buildings, and the Department of Energy says fossil fuels used in those locations make up around 25% of the federal government’s overall emissions. 

The agency estimates that, if implemented, the new emissions reductions requirements would save U.S. taxpayers approximately $8 million annually in building costs, and would reduce emissions from federal buildings by “an amount roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by nearly 300,000 homes in one year.” 

The administration will not, however, penalize federal agencies who must use fossil fuels in the process of necessary work, like those protecting national security. The exact work required for each building will be determined in concert with federal agencies starting next year.

The announcements are merely a “vehicle that we use in the federal government” to show the administration is taking actions to address climate change from within, and do not have the binding authority of a rule, officials acknowledged. Still, officials said the “plans have had sort of durable effect, actually even across administrations, and so we expect that as the work is already underway, that that it will it will take hold.”

Also on Wednesday, the state of California announced it would join the administration’s National Building Performance Standards Coalition, a group of 30-plus cities and states committed to prioritizing decarbonization in new building projects. 

“I'm thrilled to be here today celebrating the leadership of the Biden administration and the state-federal partnership that we know is really critical to tackling the climate crisis,” Lauren Sanchez, senior climate advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., said during a Wednesday phone call. “Today marks an important step towards the world's fifth largest economy delivering cleaner, healthier and more affordable buildings, while creating jobs, lowering costs and prioritizing our frontline communities.” 

California joined Colorado and Washington as the leading states in the initiative, aiming to  “inclusively design and implement building performance standards and complementary programs and policies” and adopt those policies by Earth Day 2024.