Four House Democratic have asked the Government Accountability Office to determine forces that prevent federal agencies from implementing building energy and water efficiency measures that support U.S. greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
In a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, the lawmakers said most of the facilities under the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) do not comply with Section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act.
The House members told Dodaro that the Department of Energy's EISA Section 432 compliance tracking system indicated that government buildings have hit a point of efficiency stagnation in the past four years.
They want to know the energy management approaches at agencies that have above-average rates in conforming to the law, details of reporting requirements exemption criteria and the practices used to monitor the effectiveness of conservation efforts under traditional or performance-based contracts.
The letter was signed by Reps. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.; Frank Pallone, D-N.J.; Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; and Bobby Bush, D-Ill.