The federal government is the largest energy consumer in the country. Last year, it launched an initiative to reduce federal emissions to net zero. The General Services Administration (GSA) is leading the effort to transform all government buildings into sustainable facilities.
- The GSA, Department of Energy and Department of Defense are trying to find ways to have carbon-free energy, according to Robin Carnahan, Administrator of the GSA.
- The GSA received over $3 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will be used for land ports of entry; updating 26 border crossings on both the northern and southern borders, Carnahan stated.
- The GSA plans to modernize federal buildings to use more carbon neutral energy sources, which will cost money up front, but will save money in the long term as the building will use less energy, according to Carnahan.
- The carbon emitted from what the GSA buys is double that of all the buildings and cars owned by the GSA, she explained. The GSA is using $2 billion it received from the Inflation Reduction Act to have low-embodied carbon building materials.
- The GSA predicts that this will create 10,000 jobs annually in the U.S., Carnahan said.
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