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The Department of Energy's Energy Conservation Effort

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) requires Federal agencies to apply energy efficiency measures to Federal buildings so that by Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, each agency's energy intensity is reduced by 30 percent from the baseline established in FY 2003. Energy intensity is calculated as the energy consumption in British Thermal Units (BTUs) per gross square foot of the Federal buildings. The Department of Energy's (Department) FY 2003 energy consumption baseline for its sites around the Nation was 23 trillion BTUs, supplied by energy acquired at an annual cost of around $229 million. If the Department achieves the 30 percent energy conservation requirement in FY 2015, its energy consumption would be reduced by nearly 7 trillion BTUs, resulting in a savings of nearly $80 million annually. This equates to the power necessary to operate nearly 180,000 housing units. The Department's approach to meeting its EISA requirement has been to rely, to the maximum extent possible, on its individual sites obtaining third-party financing agreements, known as Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), to fund energy conservation projects. An ESPC is a financing mechanism in which a private sector energy services company develops and installs multiple energy efficiency projects in exchange for a share of the future savings over the contract period. The Department has emphasized the need for its actions to set the example for energy conservation in the Federal Government, the Nation's largest energy consumer. Because of the Department's commitment to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, we initiated this audit to determine whether the Department had developed an effective approach for meeting EISA's energy intensity reduction requirement.

The Department of Energy's Energy Conservation Efforts

215 West Cabarrus Street Electric Vehicle Charging StationCX(s) Applied: B5.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): Raleigh, North CarolinaOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office

Center City Recycling ProjectCX(s) Applied: B5.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): Charlotte, North CarolinaOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office

Green Chemistry - CEAM Phase 3 - Working Bug LLCCX(s) Applied: B5.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): MichiganOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office

Provisions of Funds to the Colville Confederated Tribes for Purchase of the Loup Loup Creek and Aeneas Creek PropertiesCX(s) Applied: B1.25Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): Okanogan County, WashingtonOffice(s): Bonneville Power Administration

Agrilectric Power Partners - Biomass Renewable Energy Enhancement and Efficiency ProjectCX(s) Applied: B5.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): Lake Charles, LouisianaOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office

Wind Turbine Infrastructure for Green Energy and Research on Wind Power in DelawareCX(s) Applied: A9, B3.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): DelawareOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office

Geothermal Direct-Use Power Grant - City of Salida, ColoradoCX(s) Applied: A9, A11, B5.1Date: 02/08/2011Location(s): Salida, ColoradoOffice(s): Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field Office