Chair Castor Applauds President Biden's Executive Order Accelerating Clean Energy Procurement Across Federal Government

WASHINGTON - Chair Kathy Castor of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released the following statement on Wednesday, after President Biden announced his Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability:

"With this executive order, President Biden is taking an important step to reduce carbon pollution, create good-paying clean jobs, and advance adaptation and environmental justice," said Chair Castor. "By ensuring the federal government obtains 24/7 clean electricity and starts transitioning to clean electric vehicles, the Biden Administration is leading by example, taking a vital step forward in our fight to expand clean energy and lower costs across the country. And by ensuring the federal government considers opportunities to reduce emissions and promote climate resilience across its planning and procurement decisions, the President is taking an all-of-government approach to the climate crisis, which will be crucial to meeting our climate goals and protecting taxpayers nationwide.

"Consistent with recommendations in our Climate Crisis Action Plan, President Biden is using the federal government’s procurement power to expand clean vehicles, clean fuels, and resilient, innovative building technologies. The Biden Administration’s efforts will help bring new solutions to market by strengthening demand for clean technologies, so all Americans can experience the benefits of lower-cost, zero-emission climate solutions."

The Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability advances a number of priorities in the Select Committee’s Climate Crisis Action Plan, including recommendations to:

• Increase federal clean electricity purchase goals;
• Perform energy efficiency retrofits of federal buildings;
• Leverage federal procurement policies to build demand for lower embodied carbon emission products;
• Require climate adaptation planning and coordination to address the ways that the climate crisis can disrupt federal agencies and their missions and operations;
• Identify opportunities to address climate impacts on environmental justice communities and vulnerable populations in agency adaptation plans; and
• Require major government suppliers to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks to their supply chains and operations as a consideration for the award of federal contracts.

President Biden’s executive order directs the federal government to use its scale and procurement power to achieve five ambitious goals:

• 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030, at least half of which will be locally supplied clean energy to meet 24/7 demand;
• 100 percent zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) acquisitions by 2035, including 100 percent zero-emission light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027;
• Net-zero emissions from federal procurement no later than 2050, including a Buy Clean policy to promote use of construction materials with lower embodied emissions;
• A net-zero emissions building portfolio by 2045, including a 50 percent emissions reduction by 2032; and
• Net-zero emissions from overall federal operations by 2050, including a 65 percent emissions reduction by 2030.

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Background:

• In June of 2020, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Democrats released the majority staff report Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America. This report provides a roadmap for Congress—a Climate Crisis Action Plan—to build a prosperous, clean energy economy that values workers, advances environmental justice, and is prepared to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.
• House Democrats have already passed more than 250 of the recommendations in the Climate Crisis Action Plan, and have successfully worked to turn over 100 of them into law.