Government

DOE Proposes Green Regulation For Federal Buildings

The U.S. Dept. of Energy has proposed a rule that would require new and renovated federal buildings to incorporate sustainable design, siting and construction methods.

The proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 28, would implement provisions of 2005 and 2007 energy laws and President Obama’s Oct. 5, 2009, executive order requiring agencies to develop plans to improve federal buildings’ energy efficiency. Comments on the DOE proposal are due on July 27.

Emma Cheuse, an Earthjustice attorney, calls the proposal a “positive step” but hopes DOE goes further. She says additional moves could include aligning efficiency targets with current standards and designing buildings to be less dependent on fossil fuels.

Pam Hunter McFarland was a Senior Editor of ENR and her expertise was: Sourcebooks, Environment, Labor

As ENR's former Washington Bureau Chief, Tom Ichniowski wrote about the federal government since the George H.W. Bush administration, and covered at least five major highway bills. A recognized expert on government policy on infrastructure and regulation, Tom is also a Baltimore native and Orioles fan who grew up rooting for Brooks and Frank Robinson. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia’s graduate school of journalism, where he once used “unrelentless” in a headline.

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