Federal Requirements
Purchases of renewable energy certificates and power by agencies grew from just a fledgling idea in 1999 to the majority of federal renewable energy consumption in 2005 with 2032 GWh of power.
EPACT of 2005 Sets New Renewable Energy Goals for Federal Sector
The new Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 2005 directs the federal government to increase its renewable energy use, with a goal of using
EPACT 2005, or Public Law 109-58, puts the force of law into the federal renewable energy goal. Previously (1994 and 1999), renewable energy goals were incorporated into executive orders.
Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy and Transportation Management (EO 13423), reinforces the legislative renewable goals and adds the mandate that at least half of the requirement must be met with energy from renewable sources placed in service after January 1, 1999. EO 13423 also allows some non-electric renewable resources to count toward the Executive Order goal only.
Through the Renewable Energy Working Group FEMP has developed guidance on what counts toward the goal, the definition of "new" for renewable power/renewable energy certificate (REC) purchases in particular, and what types of on-site projects will get double credit (Section 203 (C)). You can read the guidance (PDF 258 KB, 19 pp) and the transmittal letter summarizing the guidance (PDF 1.2 MB, 2 pp). Download Adobe Reader.
Section 203 of EPACT 2005 defines the renewable energy goals for the federal sector. Here's a copy of that language for your reference. (MS Word 23 KB)
Federal Government Exceeds EO-13123 Renewable Energy Goal
Executive Order 13123—Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management (PDF 103 KB, 12 pp), established in 1999, required federal agencies to obtain the equivalent of 2.5 percent, or 1,395 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, of their electricity from renewable energy by 2005. At that time, agencies were obtaining more than 170 GWh, from renewable resources. Download Adobe Reader.
Federal agencies met and, even exceeded, this goal!
In November 2005, Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman announced that the federal government exceeded its goal of obtaining 1,395 GWh per year of electricity in federal facilities from renewable energy sources by 2005. Federal agencies installed on-site renewable projects and purchased renewable power that together totaled at least 2,375 GWh—enough to power 225,000 homes, or a city the size of El Paso, Texas, for one year!
Every federal agency played a role in meeting this goal. The Department of Defense, the largest energy consumer in the United States, accomplished almost half the total amount and the General Services Administration (GSA), the government landlord, provided one quarter of the reported amount. One of the smallest federal energy consumers, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dedicated the highest proportion of its own internal electric energy use (about 76 percent) to renewable energy, contributing almost 230 GWh toward the goal. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration developed a groundbreaking purchase of landfill gas to contribute another 108 GWh. The Department of Justice developed the largest solar water heating facility in the federal government.
Seventeen out of 24 agencies are using photovoltaics. Seven agencies have on-site wind projects. Thousands of geothermal ground source heat pumps have been installed across the federal government.
Executive Order 13123 included renewable energy from biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind projects. When the goal was established in 1999, most renewable energy used in the federal government was from older projects. New renewable energy from projects built after 1990 was a tiny fraction of overall federal renewable energy use (173 GWh). Renewable energy certificates (RECs) and green power were fledgling ideas that were just starting to enter the market. The goal for 2005 was a serious challenge.
Remarkably, 6 years later, the federal government exceeded the goal ahead of the September 30, 2005 deadline. Although few would have bet on it in 1999, purchases of renewable energy certificates and power by agencies grew to become the majority of federal renewable energy consumption.
To learn more, visit this news release: Federal Government Increases Renewable Energy Use Over 1000 Percent since 1999; Exceeds Goal.