U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, White House CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory Promote Federal Investments to Boost Sustainability and Jobs in Atlanta
GSA announces $117 million contract to improve efficiency at 12 Georgia federal buildings
ATLANTA, GA – Today, U.S. General Services (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan joined White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) at the Sam Nunn Federal Center to announce new energy and water efficiency investments, and promote the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to make the federal footprint more sustainable and cost-efficient. Administrator Carnahan announced the award of a $117 million Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) that will provide efficiency improvements in 12 Georgia federal buildings.
Chair Mallory also announced the launch of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Climate Smart Buildings Initiative, which will leverage public-private partnerships to modernize federal buildings to better meet agencies’ missions, create good-paying jobs, and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By setting and meeting emissions reduction targets for federal buildings, the Climate Smart Buildings Initiative is expected to catalyze over $8 billion of private sector investment by 2030 to modernize facilities through energy savings performance contracts. The initiative is expected to create and support nearly 80,000 good-paying American jobs and achieve up to 2.8 million metric tons of GHG reductions annually by 2030.
“The investments we’re making here in Georgia demonstrate how investing in sustainability is a triple win – creating good-paying clean-energy jobs, reducing energy costs, and tackling climate change to ensure a healthier future for the next generation,” said Administrator Carnahan. “The federal government wants to lead by example by leveraging our scale and buying power to help drive these efforts.”
“President Biden has made clear, climate change is a crisis, and it won’t go away without ambitious, decisive action,” said White House CEQ Chair Mallory. “Through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Climate Smart Buildings Initiative, we will replicate work Administrator Carnahan is leading at GSA to cut Federal building energy costs and emissions in Georgia and across the country. This means creating good jobs, saving taxpayer dollars, and accelerating our Made in America clean energy economy.”
“There’s no better place to demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to a greener, sustainable future for everyone because in Atlanta–we influence everything and that includes environmental justice,” said Congresswoman Nikema William (GA-05), a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Today’s investment shows that when Democrats control Congress and the White House, we come up with bold and innovative solutions for the people. I am proud to join Administrator Carnahan and Chair Mallory for today’s announcement because we don’t have time to waste to stop climate change. Our work is about putting people over politics for the health of our planet.”
The UESC award to Southern Company will provide energy and water efficiency improvements in 12 Georgia federal buildings through infrastructure improvements in chillers, boilers, air handler units, digital building controls, lighting, electrical transformers, low flow and flush water fixtures, spring water capture, and renewables technologies. The improvements will include the first wind-powered renewable energy system installed in a GSA federal building. UESCs are contracts between a federal agency and utilities for energy management services, including energy and water efficiency improvements and energy demand reduction.
The event showcased the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership in decarbonizing the federal footprint and making federal buildings more efficient, while saving taxpayer dollars, creating clean energy jobs, and strengthening American leadership and competitiveness. The Administration has set the ambitious goal of sourcing 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) on a net annual basis by 2030, including 50 percent 24/7 carbon pollution-free electricity.
In addition, Administrator Carnahan and Chair Mallory detailed the importance of the historic Inflation Reduction Act currently under debate in the Senate, which would make the single largest climate investment in U.S. history, as well as President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposal, which includes a $72 million investment for critical system and infrastructure improvements at the Sam Nunn Federal Center.
GSA recently announced that it had achieved a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from GSA-owned buildings. The reduction of more than a million metric tons annually represents the equivalent of taking 223,000 cars off the road every year. GSA has also avoided over $638 million dollars in energy costs since 2008 through energy efficiency improvements and other upgrades.
For more information on GSA’s leadership in tackling the climate crisis and investing in a more sustainable future, please see here.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.