By 2020, federal agencies will have to up their use of renewable energy sources significantly and replace 20 percent of electricity with greener options, President Obama said in a new executive order due for release on Thursday.
That demand will almost triple the federal government’s use of renewable energy, The Hill reported. The order is applicable to all federal agencies, including the civilian and military sectors.
“The federal government occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates 600,000 vehicles and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services,” The Associated Press reported in a late Wednesday announcement about the executive order.
Currently, the federal government’s goal of replacing electricity with renewable energy sources stands at 7.5 percent, meaning that by 2020, the government was supposed to swap out 7.5 percent of its electric power for green energy.
But Mr. Obama said there have been enough advancements in renewable energy to make the 20 percent swap-out feasible, AP reported. And he wants the federal government to set an example for the nation as well as to influence the private sector and state governments to follow the same green energy path.
The White House didn’t give estimates of how much the green energy switch ultimately would cost taxpayers, AP said.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Energy & Environment
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.