DOE Aims to Reduce Its Energy Intensity by 30%

8 August 2007

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) Initiative, a Department-wide effort aimed at reducing energy intensity across the nationwide DOE complex by 30%.

The federal government is largest single user of energy in the United States, and DOE is the second-largest energy consumer of all civilian federal agencies. The Department’s facilities comprise approximately 110 million square feet, and the fleet includes more than 14,000 vehicles.

The TEAM initiative requires that DOE have a plan for all facilities by 2008 to reduce their energy intensity by 30%; that all facilities maximize their installation of onsite renewable energy projects or optimize their purchase of renewable electricity; that the entire Alternative Fuel Vehicles fleet operate exclusively on alternative fuels; and that water use be benchmarked and monitored, in order to reduce consumption 16% by fiscal year 2008.

New DOE construction, major renovations, and 15% of existing federal capital asset building inventory will have to incorporate the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, ultimately aspiring to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification, or comparable certification.