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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Executive Order 13514

Executive Order (E.O.) 13514; Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance; was signed on October 5, 2009. It expanded upon the energy reduction and environmental performance requirements of E.O. 13423.

E.O. 13514 sets numerous Federal energy requirements in several areas, including:

The summary below is intended as a reference only. Refer to the full text of E.O. 13514 for more details relevant to your work.

Accountability and Transparency

E.O. 13514 accountability, transparency, and reporting requirements include:

  • Within 30 days, Federal agency heads must designate a senior management official to serve as Senior Sustainability Officer accountable for agency conformance. The Senior Sustainability Officer designation must be reported to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Senior Sustainability Officer shall:

    • Prepare targets for agency-wide reductions in 2020 for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
    • Within 240 days, prepare and submit a multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

  • Agency efforts and outcomes in implementing E.O. 13514 must be transparent and disclosed on publicly available Federal Web sites.

  • OMB must prepare scorecards providing periodic evaluation of Federal agency performance. Scorecard results must be published on a publicly available Web site.

  • The CEQ Chair must ensure that Federal agencies are held accountable for conforming to the requirements of E.O. 13514.

  • Agency heads shall decide that this order applies in whole or in part with respect to the activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency not located within the U.S. if determined that such application is in the interest of the U.S.

  • Agency heads may submit to the President, through the CEQ Chair, an exemption request covering an agency activity and related personnel, resources, and facilities.

  • The Director of National Intelligence may exempt an intelligence activity and related personnel, resources, and facilities when in the interest of national security.

  • To the maximum extent practical and without compromising national security, each agency shall strive to comply with the purposes, goals, and implementation steps of E.O. 13514.

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Strategic Sustainability Performance Planning

Federal agencies are required to develop, implement, and annually update a Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan that prioritizes agency actions based on life-cycle return on investment. Between fiscal years 2011 and 2021, each plan shall:

  • Include a policy statement committing the agency to comply with environmental and energy statutes, regulations, and executive orders.

  • Achieve established sustainability goals and targets, including greenhouse gas reduction targets.

  • Be integrated within each agency's strategic planning and budgeting process.

  • Identify agency activities, policies, plans, procedures, and practices relevant to the implementation of E.O. 13514 and, where necessary, provide for development and implementation of new or revised policies, plans, procedures, and practices.

  • Identify specific agency goals, schedules, milestones, and approaches for achieving results and quantifiable metrics required by E.O. 13514.

  • Outline planned actions to provide information about agency progress, performance, and results on a publicly available Federal Web site.

  • Incorporate actions for achieving progress metrics identified by the CEQ Chair and OMB Director.

  • Evaluate agency climate change risks and vulnerabilities to manage the effects of climate change on the agency's operations and mission in both the short and long term.

  • Consider environmental measures as well as economic benefits, social benefits, and costs in evaluating projects and activities based on life-cycle return on investment.

  • Annually identify opportunities for improvement and evaluate past performance to extend or expand projects that have net benefits as well as reassess or discontinue under-performing projects.

The CEQ Chair and OMB Director are responsible for reviewing and approving each agency's multi-year strategic sustainability performance plan.

A list of all Strategic Sustainability Plans for each agency is available on the OMB Web site.

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Greenhouse Gas Management

Greenhouse gas management is imperative within E.O. 13514. Each Federal agency must:

  • Within 90 days, establish and report to the CEQ Chair and OMB Director a fiscal year 2020 percentage reduction target of agency-wide scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions in absolute terms relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline.
    • In establishing the target, agencies shall consider reductions associated with:
      • Reducing agency building energy intensity.
      • Increasing agency renewable energy use and on-site projects.
      • Reducing agency use of fossil fuels by:
        • Using low GHG emitting and alternative fuel vehicles.
        • Optimizing vehicle numbers across agency fleets.
        • Reducing petroleum consumption in agency fleets of 20 or more 2% annually through fiscal year 2020 relative to a fiscal year 2005 baseline.
    • Where appropriate, this target shall exclude direct emissions from excluded vehicles and equipment as well as electric power produced and sold commercially to other parties in the course of regular business.
  • Within 240 days, establish and report to the CEQ Chair and OMB Director a fiscal year 2020 percentage reduction target for agency-wide scope 3 GHG emissions in absolute terms relative to a fiscal year 2008 baseline.
    • In establishing the target, agencies shall consider reductions associated with:
      • Pursuing opportunities with vendors and contractors to address and incentivize GHG emission reductions.
      • Implementing strategies and accommodations for transit, travel, training, and conferences that actively reduce carbon emissions associated with commuting and travel by agency staff.
      • Meeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions associated with other Federal Government sustainability goals.
      • Implementing innovative policies and practices that address agency-specific scope 3 GHG emissions.
  • Within 15 months, establish and report to the CEQ Chair and OMB Director a comprehensive inventory of absolute GHG emissions across all three scopes for fiscal year 2010. Comprehensive inventories shall be submitted annually thereafter at the end of each January.

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Sustainable Buildings and Communities

Federal agencies must enhance efforts towards sustainable buildings and communities. Specific requirements include:

  • Implement high performance sustainable Federal building design, construction, operation and management, maintenance, and deconstruction by:
    • Ensuring all new Federal buildings, entering the design phase in 2020 or later, are designed to achieve zero net energy by 2030.
    • Ensuring all new construction, major renovations, or repair or alteration of Federal buildings comply with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings. Read the High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance for more information about using the guiding principles in existing buildings and new construction and major renovations.
    • Ensuring at least 15% of existing agency buildings and leases (above 5,000 gross square feet) meet the Guiding Principles by fiscal year 2015 and that the agency makes annual progress towards 100% compliance across its building inventory.
    • Pursuing cost-effective, innovative strategies (e.g., highly-reflective and vegetated roofs) to minimize consumption of energy, water, and materials.
    • Managing existing building systems to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and materials, and identifying alternatives to renovation that reduce existing asset deferred maintenance costs.
    • When adding assets to agency building inventories, identifying opportunities to:
      • Consolidate and eliminate existing assets.
      • Optimize the performance of portfolio property.
      • Reduce associated environmental impacts.
    • Ensuring rehabilitation of Federally-owned historic buildings utilizes best practices and technologies in retrofitting to promote long-term viability of the building.
  • Advance regional and local integrated planning by:
    • Participating in regional transportation planning and recognizing existing community transportation infrastructure.
    • Aligning Federal policies to increase the effectiveness of local planning for energy choices such as locally-generated renewable energy.
    • Ensuring that planning for new Federal facilities and leases consider sites that are pedestrian friendly, near existing employment centers, and accessible to public transport; and emphasize existing central cities and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers.
    • Identify and analyze impacts from energy usage and alternative energy sources in all environmental impact statements and environmental assessments for proposals covering new or expanded Federal facilities under the amended National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.

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Water Efficiency

Federal agencies must improve water efficiency and management by:

  • Reducing potable water consumption intensity 2% annually through fiscal year 2020, or 26% by the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2007 baseline.

  • Reducing agency industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water consumption 2% annually, or 20% by the end of fiscal year 2020, relative to a fiscal year 2010 baseline.

  • Identifying, promoting, and implementing water reuse strategies consistent with state law that reduce potable water consumption.

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Electronic Products and Services

E.O. 13514 includes product efficiency and stewardship. Federal agencies must:

  • Ensure 95% of new contract actions, task orders, and delivery orders for products and services (excluding weapon systems) are energy efficient (ENERGY STAR® or FEMP-designated), water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) certified), non-ozone depleting, contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives where such products and services meet agency performance requirements.

  • Implement best management practices for the energy-efficient management of servers and Federal data centers.

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Fleet and Transportation Management

E.O. 13514 requires Federal agencies to consider fleet and transportation management during greenhouse gas inventory and mitigation processes. Specific details are outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Management section of this page.

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Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction

E.O. 13514 includes the following pollution prevention and waste reduction requirements for Federal agencies:

  • Minimize the generation of waste and pollutants through source reduction.

  • Decrease agency use of chemicals where such decrease will assist the agency in achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets.

  • Divert at least 50% of non-hazardous solid waste by the end of fiscal year 2013.

  • Reduce printing paper use and acquiring uncoated printing and writing paper containing at least 30% post-consumer fiber.

  • Increase the diversion of compostable and organic material from the waste stream.

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