flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

New federal buildings must be all-electric by 2030

Government Buildings

New federal buildings must be all-electric by 2030

Fossil fuels will be banned on new construction projects.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 10, 2024
Image by Jacqui from Pixabay
Image by Jacqui from Pixabay

A new Biden Administration rule bans the use of fossil fuels in new federal buildings beginning in 2030.

The announcement came despite longstanding opposition to the rule by the natural gas industry.  New federal buildings constructed between 2025 and 2029 must achieve a 90% decrease in fossil fuel consumption compared to 2003 levels.

New buildings or ones substantially renovated during and beyond 2030 cannot have any on-site fossil fuel use. The mandate was authorized by a 2007 energy law signed by President George W. Bush.

Over the next 30 years, the rule is expected to cut carbon emissions by 2 million metric tons and methane emissions by 16 thousand tons.

Related Stories

| May 10, 2011

Are green goals out of reach for federal buildings?

Many federal agencies are struggling to convert their existing buildings to meet green standards, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Of 20 agencies graded by the OMB on their compliance with green mandates, only seven met the 2010 mandate that requires at least 5% of their buildings meet energy-efficient and sustainable standards.

| Apr 22, 2011

GSA testing 16 emerging sustainable technologies, practices

The GSA is testing and evaluating 16 emerging sustainable building technologies and practices in select federal facilities under its Green Proving Ground program. Testing will determine the most effective technologies that may then be replicated on a wider-scale basis throughout the GSA inventory with the goal of transforming markets for these technologies.

| Apr 19, 2011

Is a building sustainable if it kills birds?

Migratory birds were flying into the windows and falling, dead or injured, to the foot of the LEED-Platinum FBI building in Chicago. The FBI building isn't the only LEED-certified structure to cause problems for migratory birds, however. Some of the more than 33,000 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. use large amounts of glass to bring in natural light and save on energy—and all that glass can confuse birds.

| Apr 14, 2011

U.S. embassies on a mission to green the world's buildings

The U.S. is putting greater emphasis on greening its worldwide portfolio of embassies. The U.S. State Department-affiliated League of Green Embassies already has 70 U.S. embassies undergoing efforts to reduce their environmental impact, and the organization plans to increase that number to more than 100 by the end of the year.

| Apr 13, 2011

Southern Illinois park pavilion earns LEED Platinum

Erin’s Pavilion, a welcome and visitors center at the 80-acre Edwin Watts Southwind Park in Springfield, Ill., earned LEED Platinum. The new 16,000-sf facility, a joint project between local firm Walton and Associates Architects and the sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, serves as a community center and special needs education center, and is named for Erin Elzea, who struggled with disabilities during her life.

| Apr 12, 2011

Miami courthouse design does justice to children and the environment

Suffolk Construction broke ground recently for the Miami-Dade County Children’s Courthouse, a $328 million project the firm has a 30-month contract to complete.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Laboratories

The Department of Energy breaks ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center

In Princeton, N.J., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has broken ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC), a state-of-the-art office and laboratory building. Designed and constructed by SmithGroup, the $109.7 million facility will provide space for research supporting PPPL’s expanded mission into microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences. 


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021