The new plan reflects the present Capitol Hill landscape, including a congressional desire to cut spending that has resulted in deep reductions in GSA’s public-buildings construction budget, for example.

Clinton said, “It’s the nearest thing we’ve got to a free lunch in a tough economy,” be cause the costs of construction can be recouped in the form of lower electricity bills.

Program supporters covera wide spectrum. Those appearing at the program's launch included U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue and, from organized labor, American Federation of Teachers President Randy Weingarten.

The effort also drew praise from ndustry and conservation groups, including the American Institute of Architects, U.S. Green Building Council and Alliance to Save Energy.

USGBC President Rick Fedrizzi said, “This announcement is another step toward the $130 billion a year we could save and nearly 1 million jobs we could create in the process if we had greener, more efficient buildings,” added Fedrizzi.  

But AIA President Clark Manus said that “much more can be done to create jobs in this sector. “ He added that AIA and other design and construction organizations are working on a “broad-based initiative” along those lines.

The Chamber’s Donohue said the energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs), which are a key to the federal part of the buildings initiative, have great potential. But he said that despite their benefits, “the program has been grossly underutilized.”

The Chamber has proposed ways to make it more effective, including more training for federal employees working with the contracts and a presidential executive order directing agencies to use the contracts for most of their energy projects.