[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 5, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 54779-54781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22030]



[[Page 54777]]

Vol. 77

Wednesday,

No. 172

September 5, 2012

Part IV





The President





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Executive Order 13624--Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy 
Efficiency



Executive Order 13625--Improving Access to Mental Health Services for 
Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families
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  Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 172 / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 54779]]

                Executive Order 13624 of August 30, 2012

                
Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy 
                Efficiency

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to promote American manufacturing 
                by helping to facilitate investments in energy 
                efficiency at industrial facilities, it is hereby 
                ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. The industrial sector accounts for 
                over 30 percent of all energy consumed in the United 
                States, and, for many manufacturers, energy costs 
                affect overall competitiveness. While our manufacturing 
                facilities have made progress in becoming more energy 
                efficient over the past several decades, there is an 
                opportunity to accelerate and expand these efforts with 
                investments to reduce energy use through more efficient 
                manufacturing processes and facilities and the expanded 
                use of combined heat and power (CHP). Instead of 
                burning fuel in an on-site boiler to produce thermal 
                energy and also purchasing electricity from the grid, a 
                manufacturing facility can use a CHP system to provide 
                both types of energy in one energy-efficient step. 
                Accelerating these investments in our Nation's 
                factories can improve the competitiveness of United 
                States manufacturing, lower energy costs, free up 
                future capital for businesses to invest, reduce air 
                pollution, and create jobs.

                Despite these benefits, independent studies have 
                pointed to under-investment in industrial energy 
                efficiency and CHP as a result of numerous barriers. 
                The Federal Government has limited but important 
                authorities to overcome these barriers, and our efforts 
                to support investment in industrial energy efficiency 
                and CHP should involve coordinated engagement with a 
                broad set of stakeholders, including States, 
                manufacturers, utilities, and others. By working with 
                all stakeholders to address these barriers, we have an 
                opportunity to save industrial users tens of billions 
                of dollars in energy costs over the next decade.

                There is no one-size-fits-all solution for our 
                manufacturers, so it is imperative that we support 
                these investments through a variety of approaches, 
                including encouraging private sector investment by 
                setting goals and highlighting the benefits of 
                investment, improving coordination at the Federal 
                level, partnering with and supporting States, and 
                identifying investment models beneficial to the 
                multiple stakeholders involved.

                To formalize and support the close interagency 
                coordination that is required to accelerate greater 
                investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP, 
                this order directs certain executive departments and 
                agencies to convene national and regional stakeholders 
                to identify, develop, and encourage the adoption of 
                investment models and State best practice policies for 
                industrial energy efficiency and CHP; provide technical 
                assistance to States and manufacturers to encourage 
                investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP; 
                provide public information on the benefits of 
                investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP; and 
                use existing Federal authorities, programs, and 
                policies to support investment in industrial energy 
                efficiency and CHP.

                Sec. 2.  Encouraging Investment in Industrial 
                Efficiency. The Departments of Energy, Commerce, and 
                Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency, 
                in coordination with the National Economic Council, the 
                Domestic Policy Council, the Council on Environmental 
                Quality, and the Office of Science and Technology 
                Policy, shall coordinate policies to encourage 
                investment in industrial efficiency in order to reduce 
                costs for industrial users,

[[Page 54780]]

                improve U.S. competitiveness, create jobs, and reduce 
                harmful air pollution. In doing so, they shall engage 
                States, industrial companies, utility companies, and 
                other stakeholders to accelerate this investment. 
                Specifically, these agencies shall, as appropriate and 
                consistent with applicable law:

                    (a) coordinate and strongly encourage efforts to 
                achieve a national goal of deploying 40 gigawatts of 
                new, cost-effective industrial CHP in the United States 
                by the end of 2020;
                    (b) convene stakeholders, through a series of 
                public workshops, to develop and encourage the use of 
                best practice State policies and investment models that 
                address the multiple barriers to investment in 
                industrial energy efficiency and CHP;
                    (c) utilize their respective relevant authorities 
                and resources to encourage investment in industrial 
                energy efficiency and CHP, such as by:

(i) providing assistance to States on accounting for the potential emission 
reduction benefits of CHP and other energy efficiency policies when 
developing State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to achieve national ambient 
air quality standards;

(ii) providing incentives for the deployment of CHP and other types of 
clean energy, such as set-asides under emissions allowance trading program 
state implementation plans, grants, and loans;

(iii) employing output-based approaches as compliance options in power and 
industrial sector regulations, as appropriate, to recognize the emissions 
benefits of highly efficient energy generation technologies like CHP; and

(iv) seeking to expand participation in and create additional tools to 
support the Better Buildings, Better Plants program at the Department of 
Energy, which is working with companies to help them achieve a goal of 
reducing energy intensity by 25 percent over 10 years, as well as utilizing 
existing partnership programs to support energy efficiency and CHP;

                    (d) support and encourage efforts to accelerate 
                investment in industrial energy efficiency and CHP by:

(i) providing general guidance, technical analysis and information, and 
financial analysis on the value of investment in industrial energy 
efficiency and CHP to States, utilities, and owners and operators of 
industrial facilities;

(ii) improving the usefulness of Federal data collection and analysis; and

(iii) assisting States in developing and implementing State-specific best 
practice policies that can accelerate investment in industrial energy 
efficiency and CHP.

                In implementing this section, these agencies should 
                consult with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
                as appropriate.

                Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the 
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 54781]]

                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    August 30, 2012.

[FR Doc. 2012-22030
Filed 9-4-12; 2:00 pm]
Billing code 3295-F2-P