Obama orders govt agencies to get 20% from renewables

Dec 6, 2013 - US President Barack Obama on Thursday signed a memorandum under the national Climate Action Plan, requiring the federal government to derive 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

The new goal will be more than double the current level, according to the official statement. Agencies are urged to identify formerly contaminated lands, landfills and mine sites for the construction of renewable energy plants.

The move is in line with the Climate Action Plan’s major goal to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, promote energy independence and prepare the US for the effects of changing climate condition.

President Obama noted that state agencies have already managed to lower their CO2 emissions by over 15% as compared to 2008 levels and have reduced power consumption per sq ft in federal buildings by over 9% since 2008. They have also sourced from renewables more than 7% of their power needs in 2013, he added.

The Climate Action Plan, introduced in June, aims to again double renewable energy generation by 2020 as compared to 2008 levels. It directs the Department of the Interior (DOI) to greenlight by the end of the decade enough wind, solar and other renewable energy projects on public lands to cover the needs of over six million households. Also, the Obama plan calls for 100 MW of renewable capacity on federally assisted housing by 2020, while keeping the existing plan to boost green power use at military facilities.

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