EPA teams with other agencies for solar purchasing agreement

Following President Obama's executive order for federal agencies to reduce greenhouse emissions and increase renewable energy use, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined the Forest Service, Department of Energy and General Services Administration (GSA) in announcing the first federal partnership for solar power purchasing.

The Federal Aggregated Solar Procurement Project, which was inspired by a similar scheme within the Silicone Valley local government, aims to save costs associated with solar installation by contracting the work on a larger scale.

“By combining our efforts with our federal partners at the Forest Service, Department of Energy and GSA, we are proving that solar power and other clean energy will save money, protect our air and water, and help us fight climate change,” said the EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest Jared Blumenfeld.

The project is expected to create 5 megawatts of power for federal facilities in California and Nevada, contributing to the projected savings of nearly $1 billion from Obama’s order.

Currently, the federal government consumes more energy than any other entity in the nation, totaling up to 57 billion kilowatt-hours across 500,000 buildings and costing more than $5 billion. The executive order calls for federal agencies to cut emissions by 40 percent and increase renewable energy use by a minimum of 30 percent by 2025.