We will use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to upgrade federal buildings across the country with emerging and sustainable technologies.
By leveraging private sector funds with Inflation Reduction Act funds, we expect to more than double the $975 million investment in sustainable technologies, deploying a total of $1.9 billion in private and public funding to support sustainable technologies.
This investment will avoid 2.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the equipment’s lifetime and will save enough energy to power over 300,000 American homes. At the same time, it will boost the American economy by supporting 5,000 jobs per year, adding $2.4 billion to the U.S. GDP and avoiding $467 million in energy costs for American taxpayers over the next two decades.
These Inflation Reduction Act funds for emerging and sustainable technologies and related sustainability and environmental programs will impact about 40 million square feet — about 20% — of our federal building portfolio and expand the agency’s sustainable building portfolio to 134 million square feet. Through these projects, 28 buildings will achieve net zero emissions and 100 more buildings will become all-electric.
Specifically, we are using Inflation Reduction Act emerging and sustainable technology funding to:
- Conduct deep energy retrofits to make buildings more cost-efficient and sustainable: Through energy savings performance contracts, we intend to use Inflation Reduction Act funding to bring energy and cost-saving improvements to hundreds of buildings. For example, one set of projects will convert 41 facilities to all-electric operations and promote opportunities to achieve net zero operations.
- Net zero energy buildings are buildings where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable energy. These buildings produce and store sufficient energy on-site rather than drawing energy from the grid.
- Sustainable buildings as a result of deep energy retrofits have reduced energy use by at least 40%. For more information on sustainable buildings and deep energy retrofits, visit the Federal Building Performance Standard and GSA’s Deep Energy Retrofit website.
- Deploy smart building technologies: The Inflation Reduction Act is enabling an $80 million investment in smart building technologies that will help reduce emissions, increase efficiency and reduce costs, and enhance comfort across an estimated 560 federal buildings. These investments will also help create jobs and accelerate progress toward achieving net-zero emissions in the federal building portfolio by 2045.
- Install electrical vehicle supply equipment: We have dedicated $25 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds specifically for installation of electric vehicle charging ports at federal buildings across the nation. This investment will support 32 projects across 21 states at 33 federal buildings, and will help build a convenient and reliable electric vehicle charging network for the federal government’s electric vehicle fleet.
- Catalyze American innovation by testing new technologies: In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, we will invest $30 million to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies through the Green Proving Ground program. The GPG program evaluates emerging and sustainable technologies in real-world settings and will accelerate the agency’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions in federal buildings while creating good-paying clean energy jobs. These new, American-made technologies will help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution and enhance building performance.
Project examples
Electrifying the District of Columbia’s largest building
We are transitioning the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. from fossil-fuel-based steam to all-electric heat pump technology - alongside other energy-efficiency upgrades - with more than $18 million through the Inflation Reduction Act. The project is expected to cut the amount of energy used per square foot by almost 50% and greenhouse gas emissions by over 50%. The full project is expected to save over $6.2 million annually in utility costs.
Improving energy efficiency and creating jobs in Ohio
Nearly $10 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding will upgrade building infrastructure and install new technologies that will reduce energy consumption and costs at four federal buildings in northern Ohio. Through an Energy Savings Performance Contract awarded to Johnson Controls, these investments are estimated to save about $300,000 per year in energy costs and reduce emissions by about 1,600 metric tons per year.
Reducing energy costs and creating local jobs in Texas and Louisiana
$9.6 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding is estimated to save over a million dollars in energy costs annually while also cutting pollution and creating local jobs. Through an Energy Savings Performance Contract, GSA will upgrade building infrastructure and install new technologies that will reduce energy consumption and costs at four federal buildings in the Dallas area and six in Louisiana.
Sustainable upgrades in Colorado
An $88 million investment, partially funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, will make 18 federal buildings in the Denver area more sustainable as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Through an Energy Savings Performance Contract, we will upgrade building infrastructure and install new technologies that will reduce energy consumption and costs, while also cutting emissions and creating hundreds of local jobs annually.
U.S. General Services Administration