Analysis of Energy Savings In the Federal Sector through Utilities Service Programs

Abstract

As a result of insufficient appropriations for energy-related proj-
ects at federal sites, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fed-
eral Energy Management Programs (FEMP) has encouraged the use
of alternative financing as a method to fund energy efficiency, water
conservation, and renewable energy capital retrofit projects. One of the
potential avenues for agencies to obtain alternative financing is through
their servicing utility. Since the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 1992
(EPACT), more than 1,200 projects have been facilitated in this manner.
The amount of the capital investment per project has varied markedly,
depending on the need of the federal agency, number of facilities at a
specifi c site, and nature of the retrofit technology.
To promote the use of this financing mechanism, FEMP created the
Federal Utility Partnership Working Group to foster enhanced relation-
ships between utilities and both federal agencies and their sites so proj-
ects could be identifi ed, designed, financed, and constructed. Formation
of this working group also allowed FEMP the opportunity to collect, on
a voluntary basis, specifi c information regarding individual projects to
document results, which could assist in determining the contribution to
mandated energy saving goals.