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2004 Presidential Energy Management Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2004 Presidential Awards for Leadership in Federal Energy Management.

U.S. Department of Energy
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Hanford, Washington
Contact: Juan Alvarez, 509-373-6678

Awarded to the PNNL for its outstanding efforts to efficiently manage energy use, including the use of alternative financing, energy conservation, renewable energy, and ENERGY STAR® standards. PNNL's Plug into Savings energy conservation project saved almost 3.0 million kilowatt hours ($118,728) in 2003, which represents almost 3.6 percent of PNNL's total 2003 electricity use. PNNL has institutionalized its efforts in policies and practices by incorporating energy efficiency goals into the Facilities and Operation Directorate's long-term strategic plan and into the performance measures used to determine the operating contractor's annual award fee from the Department of Energy. To facilitate similar energy and water conservation efforts by others, PNNL has participated in local sustainability workshops, contributed energy conservation material to local schools, created a website and monthly newsletter to disseminate best practices, and presented elements of its energy conservation approach at three conferences.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
Energy Program
Washington, DC
Contact: Scott Waldman, 202-619-0719

Awarded to HHS and Accent Designs Inc. (a Federal contractor) for their aggressive and continuing pursuit of greater energy conservation and savings over the last 10 years. Employing the tools of Executive Order 13123, the HHS Energy Program used facility energy audits, highly efficient systems, alternative financing contracts, sustainable building design, and ENERGY STAR® standards to implement energy conservation. In 2003, the National Institutes of Health's Bethesda Campus began receiving its power from a new 23-megawatt cogeneration unit with an efficiency rating of 85 percent that will save more than 640 billion Btu and $3.6 million per year. Two more Indian Health Service hospitals reached ENERGY STAR® efficiency goals in 2003 and have submitted applications for official certification. Since its inception in 1990, the HHS Energy Program has cumulatively saved $166 million and 16 trillion Btu of energy. These savings translate into the elimination of 312,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing 11,400 cars from the road for each of the 13 years of the program's existence. Outreach tools include seminars, newsletters, electronic mail notices, website and after-hours energy audits that notify individual employees of their energy saving performance. Operational division design policies and guidelines require life-cycle cost analyses, incorporation of sustainable design principles, procurement of ENERGY STAR® equipment, and investigation of potential installation of renewable energy technologies.

U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Air Force Renewable Energy Team
California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, Virginia
Contact: Alvin Day, 850-283-6357

Awarded to the Air Force Renewable Energy Team for energy cost savings and reduced environmental impact attained by obtaining as much of its energy as possible from renewable sources. With the support of Air Force Commanders, the Air Force Renewable Energy Team procured renewable energy in 2003 that amounted to 207 million kilowatt hours, approximately 40 percent of the entire Federal government's renewable energy acquisitions. As a result of these renewable energy purchases by the Air Force, the environment benefited from reduced emissions of 41,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent, as well as 463 metric tons of sulfur dioxide and 454 metric tons of nitrous oxide. This is equivalent to removing almost 20,000 cars from the road for a year. A five-year renewable energy contract signed by Edwards Air Force Base in June 2001 will save approximately $46 million because the renewable electricity actually costs less than the conventional fossil fuel-generated electricity. Following a successful 900-kilowatt wind farm project on Ascension Island in 2001, the project was expanded to triple the energy production capacity in 2003. This expansion is projected to save 7 million kilowatt hours per year and $750,000 annually in fuel costs on top of the original 3.5 million kilowatt hours per year and $350,000 in annual savings from the initial phase.

U.S. General Services Administration New England
"Team Save"
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts
Contact: Roman Piaskoski, 617-565-4693

Awarded to GSA New England Team Save for its numerous successes in executing energy conservation plans across New England. In total, Team Save's efforts cut utility costs for the New England GSA by almost $676,000 or 5.5 percent from 2001 to 2003, even while market prices of utilities increased eight percent. At the J.J. Ribicoff Federal Building in Hartford, Connecticut, the GSA used highly efficient systems, such as a new steam-piping scheme, steam-condensate heat recovery system, and steam-trap maintenance program, to reduce the building's energy intensity by 23 percent, a decrease of 23,671 Btu per square foot and 709.8 metric tons of carbon (equivalent to the carbon emissions from 126 typical households). As a result, operating costs decreased from $3.00 per square foot in 2001 to $2.28 per square foot in 2003. Along with these successes, the GSA focused on creating greater awareness of energy conservation and savings by promoting conservation discussions at monthly tenant meetings, sending daily electronic bulletins, and encouraging further education and training for managers on best practices.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Green Power Purchase Program
California, Colorado, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Washington, DC
Contact: Bucky Green, 202-564-6371

Awarded to EPA's Green Power Purchase Program for working aggressively to acquire electricity from renewable sources over the last five years. EPA's efforts were assisted by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the General Services Administration, Department of Defense's Defense Energy Support Center, Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program, and the Western Area Power Administration. As a result of these partnerships, EPA purchases approximately 122 million kilowatt hours of green power per year, amounting to roughly 44 percent of its electricity needs-the highest percentage of any Federal agency. These purchases reduce EPA's greenhouse gas emissions by 28,700 metric tons of carbon per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 5,100 typical households. In addition to the environmental benefits, the program also increased the green power procurement expertise of EPA and its partners through information sharing, which will facilitate future Federal purchases. By the end of 2003, EPA had secured sufficient renewable energy sources to provide nine of its facilities with 100 percent of their electricity needs. To get its message out to employees and visitors, EPA developed window "clings" that attach to windows and doors alerting people that they are entering a green-powered building. Further outreach efforts include an animated online presentation available on the EPA website and numerous articles in the Energizing EPA newsletter.

U.S. Department of Defense
Marine Corps Energy Management Team
Nationwide and Overseas
Contact: Carl Zeigler, 703-695-9781, ext 3302

Awarded to the Marine Corps Energy Management Team for its impressive investments in energy efficiency both domestically and overseas. The Team employed water conservation audits, self-generation of electricity, ENERGY STAR� standards, institutionalization of sustainable design, and alternative financing in realizing its goals. The Team used utility cost reports to set priorities for the bases that had the most to gain from a comprehensive audit on water use. The resulting audits and corresponding fixes to leaks reduced water use by 486.5 million gallons per year in 2003 and identified cost-effective projects worth $15 million for future implementation. In total, the Marine Corps' conservation efforts reduced energy use in 2003 by 341.8 billion Btu, realizing savings of $25.6 million. This annual savings provides enough energy for almost 3,400 typical households. The Team broadened its impact via its website, an annual awards program providing monetary awards, and continuing education. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the outreach effort is the Energy Education Program for elementary and secondary students at Camp LeJeune's schools in North Carolina, where students, teachers, school administration, and base personnel work together to audit and implement energy conservation improvement projects. This program resulted in a 5.8 percent reduction in energy spending at Camp Lejeune schools from 2002 to 2003 or a savings of $34,555.