[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61120-61121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16664]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-MG-2024-02; Docket No. 2024-0002; Sequence 34]


Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Notification 
of Public Comment Period for GSA's Green Building Certification System 
Review

AGENCY: Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP); General Services 
Administration, (GSA).

ACTION: Notification of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: GSA is seeking comments on its draft recommendations to the 
Secretary of Energy on those green building certification systems that 
will most likely ``encourage a comprehensive and environmentally sound 
approach'' to the certification of high-performance green Federal 
buildings, per requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act 
of 2007. These draft recommendations are based on the information 
contained in GSA's 2024 Green Building Certification System Review 
Findings Report that analyzed green building certification systems and 
their alignment with Federal green building performance requirements. 
GSA will be using stakeholder input to potentially augment its final 
recommendations to the Secretary of Energy. The information being asked 
for in this notice is not for the purpose of a proposed GSA rulemaking 
or a GSA regulation.

DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments by one of the 
methods shown below on or before August 29, 2024 to be considered in 
the formation of GSA's final recommendations to the Secretary of 
Energy.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to Notice-MG-2024-02 by any of 
the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-
MG-2024-02''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds 
with ``Notice-MG-2024-02'' Follow the instructions provided at the 
``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if 
any), and ``Notice-MG-2024-02 on your attached document.
     Email: [email protected].
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Notice-MG-2024-
02 in all correspondence related to this case. Visit https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview for more information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bryan Steverson, Office of Federal 
High-Performance Green Buildings, telephone 202-501-6115, or via email, 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 436(h) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 
(EISA) requires GSA to evaluate green building certification systems 
and provide a recommendation to the Secretary of Energy who, in 
consultation with the Department of Defense and GSA, formally 
identifies system(s) to be used across the Federal Government. GSA's 
Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings has just completed 
and published its 2024 Green Building Certification System Review 
Findings Report (Findings Report), which can be accessed at https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview. This report summarizes GSA's formal 
review of six green building certification systems (BOMA BEST, BREEAM, 
Green Globes, LEED, Living Building Challenge, and Passive House US, 
Inc). These systems were assessed against a set of review criteria 
contained in statute that evaluate how they were developed and how the 
systems align with current Federal green building performance 
requirements.
    Request for Public Comment: GSA is seeking public comment on its 
draft recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on those green 
building certification systems that ``will most likely encourage a 
comprehensive and environmentally sound approach'' to the certification 
of high-performance green Federal buildings. GSA's draft 
recommendations can be found on its website: https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview.

Draft Recommendations

    Based on the information contained in its Findings Report, GSA 
recommends that agencies consider using LEED or Green Globes for new 
construction or major renovation projects. Both of these systems meet 
the basic requirements established under DOE Rule: ``Green Building 
Certification Systems Requirement for New Federal Buildings

[[Page 61121]]

and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings'' by:
     Allowing assessors and auditors to independently verify 
the criteria and measurement metrics of the system
     Being developed by a certification organization that 
provides an opportunity for public comment on the system and provides 
an opportunity for development and revision of the system through a 
consensus-based process
     Being nationally recognized within the building industry
     Being subject to periodic evaluation and assessment of the 
environmental and energy benefits that result under the certification 
system, and
     Including a verification system for post-occupancy 
assessment of the rated buildings to demonstrate continued energy and 
water savings at least every four years after initial occupancy
    For existing buildings, GSA recommends that agencies consider the 
use of BOMA Best, BREEAM In-Use, Green Globes, LEED, Living Building 
Challenge, Living Building Challenge CORE, or PHIUS CORE Revive. Each 
of these systems contains requirements and options that align to 
varying degrees with green building performance criteria and provides a 
sound approach to certification of high-performance green Federal 
buildings. It is important for agencies to ensure that the options 
selected within a certification system are those that align with 
Federal criteria in order to realize the benefits of using such a 
system. GSA recommends agencies use the certification system that best 
meets their mission, building type, and portfolio needs and certify to 
a level that promotes the high performance sustainable building goals 
referenced in Executive Orders 14008 and 14057.
    It should be noted that on October 14, 2014, the U.S. DOE published 
its final rule that formally identifies criteria that green building 
certification systems must meet in order to be used by the Federal 
Government. This GSA request for public comment is not for the purposes 
of that final rulemaking, but to inform GSA on its related 
responsibilities to study green building certification systems and 
recommend ones to the DOE that may fit within the framework of the 
final rule. DOE's final rule can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOE-EERE-OT-2010-0007-0084.

Kinga Hydras,
Acting Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, 
General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-16664 Filed 7-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-P