Norton to Produce Bill Following Hearing on No Cost Ways to Save Federal Energy Costs (7/19/07)

Washington, DC- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chair of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee, today held a hearing to begin "greening the federal sector," by pressing the government to move to lead by example and implement no and low cost, quick and easy steps to conserve energy and reduce costs. Using her chairmanship, Norton plans a series of hearings to try to change the culture of the federal sector by spreading the no cost conservation approach in 1,500 government buildings and other property throughout the United States, managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), comprising more than 350 million square feet of government-owned and rented space, as well as in more than 2 billion square feet of real estate managed by the Department of Defense. GSA falls under the jurisdiction of Norton's subcommittee. She said that because GSA is a lease holder for the vast majority of office space controlled by the federal government, the agency can play a pivotal role in energy conservation in the private sector as well.

Norton set an example from the beginning of today's hearing by getting staff to turn down lights and open the heavy drapes to let in natural light. "We already know of uncomplicated ways to proceed that will cost little or nothing while producing big dividends in energy savings, including gas, electricity, oil, air conditioning, water and all the rest," Norton said in her opening statement. "We begin a more aggressive pursuit of these methods today." She cited simple no cost or inexpensive conservation measures, such as empowering building superintendents with authority to be energy managers, enforcing lowering thermostats, turning off lights after hours, cleaning during the day when lights are on, powering down equipment, and locating work stations close to natural light. These actions immediately can complement investments in technologically advanced systems such as photovoltaic solar electrical systems. During the last Congress, Norton got GSA to install a prize-winning solar energy system at the Department of Energy headquarters in the District to promote using alternatives to fossil fuels, and another Norton provision authorized GSA to equip new and existing federal buildings with solar panels.

As the world's largest energy consumer, the federal government has pursued and achieved energy savings. For example, primary energy by the government fell 13 percent during the past 20 years, with a 25 percent decrease in energy costs in real terms, despite a 27 percent increase in fuel prices in the United States in 2005. "The most important need today is to quicken the pace of conservation and savings and put teeth in what is being done, " Norton said.

Hearing witnesses included David L. Winstead, GSA Commissioner; Phil Grone, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Installations and Environment; Brenna S. Walraven,Chairman-Elect of the Building Owners and Managers Association International; and Neil Stanley, Chief of Staff of the D.C. Department of Environment and Acting Associate Director of Energy.