[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10642-S10643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Carper):
  S. 1830. A bill to establish the Chief of Conservation Officers 
Council to improve the energy efficiencies of Federal agencies, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President I rise to introduce a bill that would 
improve the Federal Government's efforts to become more energy 
efficient and ensure accountability within executive branch agencies 
for meeting energy efficiency targets. The legislation would also amend 
Federal contracting rules to encourage energy efficiency across the 
Federal, State, and local governments by making energy-saving 
technologies more widely available and at lower costs to taxpayers. I 
am pleased to be joined by Senators Lieberman and Carper on this 
important bill.
  As the largest institutional user of energy in the world, the Federal 
Government has ample opportunity to implement energy efficiency 
policies and technologies. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's 
Federal Energy Management Program, the Federal Government consumes 1.6 
percent of the Nation's total energy--about $17.5 billion in annual 
energy costs. Electricity at Federal buildings accounts for almost half 
of this usage.
  Improving energy efficiency is not only good for the environment; it 
can also produce savings for taxpayers.
  Agencies that have been more aggressive in implementing energy 
savings initiatives and have fully complied with existing laws and 
regulations have also enjoyed significant cost savings. For example, 
two of the Department of Energy laboratories have developed 
environmental management systems, which have shown a total of $16.6 
million in cost savings and avoidance within a 4-year period. 
Environmental management systems are a strategic approach to ensuring 
that an organization's environmental priorities are integrated into 
operational, planning, and management decisions. The systems these 
laboratories developed emphasized achieving full compliance, pollution 
prevention, and effective and focused communications and community 
outreach.
  Over the last few decades, more than a dozen laws, regulations, and 
Executive Orders have been implemented to encourage energy efficiency 
and reduce environmental impacts of government operations. 
Unfortunately, agencies have been inconsistent and sporadic in meeting 
their environmental goals. The lack of a unified effort and 
accountability with agencies has undermined the good intentions of 
these policies.
  A great variance exists across the government, both in terms of 
compliance with energy efficiency laws and regulations, as well as with 
initiatives individual agencies have developed to reduce energy usage.
  Agencies should explore diverse and innovative ways to save money by 
decreasing energy consumption, as well as have greater incentives to 
undertake initiatives to meet energy reduction mandates.
  The Obama administration issued an Executive Order earlier this 
month, which makes strides in establishing a more integrated strategy 
toward sustainability and energy efficiency.
  This Executive Order, however, does not go far enough in providing 
agency officials with the authority and accountability necessary to 
enforce applicable efficiency mandates. The Executive Order directs 
each agency head to designate an ``Agency Senior Sustainability 
Officer'' from among the agency's senior management officials. This 
position is too similar to the agency environmental executives created 
by Executive Order in 2007, which did very little to improve agencies' 
compliance with applicable laws.
  Our legislation, however, would create a Chief Conservation Officer 
within each agency. The officer would be drawn from career Senior 
Executives. These officers will help spur long-term leadership on this 
issue.
  In contrast to the Executive Order, implementing energy efficiency 
and sustainability policies would also be the primary responsibility of 
this individual. Dedicating a senior-level career official to energy 
efficiency policy would improve the government's focus on 
implementation of existing laws and policies, enhance innovation, and 
help identify future initiatives.
  The Chief Conservation Officer would also be responsible for 
incorporating environmental considerations into agency procurement 
practices. This involvement will encourage efficiency improvements in 
the agency's procurement of goods and services.
  To improve the availability of efficiency technologies and help lower 
their costs, the bill would make several improvements in government 
procurement policies.
  Specifically, the bill would allow state and local government to 
purchase ``green'' commodities and services off the General Services 
Administration Schedule. This procurement authority would help State 
and local governments reduce the administrative costs of negotiating 
their own contracts and would increase competition and lower costs. 
Federal agencies should also reap the benefits of this program as more 
goods and services become available at reduced costs.
  Participation in the program would be voluntary for State and local 
governments, as well as vendors. The proposal would also provide small 
businesses with ``green'' products more efficient access to State and 
local markets, markets that geography and cost might otherwise 
foreclose. For comparison sake, 80 percent of GSA Schedule contracts 
are with small businesses.
  Over the next 5 years, the legislation would also allow agencies to 
enter into power purchase agreements for electricity produced by 
renewable energy

[[Page S10643]]

sources. These agreements could last not more than 20 years and 
agencies would need to assess that the agreement would be cost 
effective before entering into them.
  We know from examples such as the solar power system at Nellis Air 
Force Base what a well-designed public-private partnership can 
accomplish, if executed correctly. This project cost the Air Force less 
than $100,000 in capital costs, yet saved the government more than $1.2 
million in its first year of operation by supplying \1/4\ of the total 
power used at the base, where 12,000 people live and work. 
Additionally, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 
24,000 tons annually.
  Finally, the bill would expand the definition of renewable energy in 
Federal purchase requirements beyond electricity. Under the current 
definition, agencies cannot take advantage of ``green'' technologies 
like geothermal energy because geo-thermal energy is not considered 
electric.
  By promoting accountability for meeting existing energy efficiency 
mandates and by encouraging initiatives to decrease energy usage and 
spur innovation, this bill would help ``green'' our federal operations. 
The associated savings should improve our government's bottom line--to 
the benefit of taxpayers.
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