Federal Government Announces $4 Billion Investment to Improve Building Energy Efficiency
Monday, December 5, 2011 20:23Last Friday, President Obama unveiled a $4 billion plan to upgrade the energy systems of public and private buildings across the country. By covering the cost of the plan through private-sector investment and future realized energy savings, this initiative seeks to save money and create thousands of jobs all at no upfront cost to the taxpayer.
President Obama has pledged at least $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrade spending for all Federal agencies over the next two months. Additionally, 60 private companies, educational institutions, labor leaders, and local governments have collectively committed another $2 billion in energy efficiency improvements to 1.6 billion square feet of property. This comes as part of the administration’s Better Building Initiative, which seeks to upgrade energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020.
“Upgrading the energy efficiency of America’s buildings is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money, cut down on harmful pollution, and create good jobs right now,” said President Obama. “America is taking another big step towards the competitive, clean energy economy it will take to win the future.” Friday’s plan is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs, and the contractors will be paid through future savings from the retrofit work. The Better Building Initiative as a whole has the potential to create 114,000 jobs while reducing energy bills for businesses by $40 billion per year.
There has never been a better time to get trained as a Commercial Energy Auditor. There are over five million commercial buildings in the United States, and they account for roughly 20 percent of all the energy used by the U.S. economy. With the private sector becoming increasingly cognizant of the benefits of energy efficiency, and with the Federal government continuing to pledge its support, the industry is looking ever brighter. Check out CleanEdison’s comprehensive Commercial Energy Auditing curriculum, and get your start in this exciting and lucrative field.
