Statement by Secretary Granholm on the President's Executive Order Catalyzing America's Clean Energy Economy Through Federal Sustainability

President Biden today signed an executive order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The President is extending his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive. The executive order builds upon the Department of Energy (DOE) Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, released earlier this year in coordination with the White House, to adopt agency-wide strategies to manage the short- and long-term effects of climate change in DOE’s operations. 

“President Biden is leading by example and working on behalf of the American people to tackle the climate crisis and DOE is in full support of the Administration’s whole-of-government strategy,” said Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm. “Through our Federal Energy Management Program, DOE is ready to help the federal government rebuild American supply chains and create jobs by using U.S.-made products to reduce carbon pollution.” 

Through this historic executive order and its accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan, the Biden Administration will leverage the federal government’s procurement power and scale to achieve five ambitious primary goals: 

• 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030, at least half of which will be locally supplied clean energy to meet 24/7 demand 
• 100% zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035, including 100% 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%emissions reduction by 2032 
• Net-zero emissions from overall federal operations by 2050, including a 65% emissions reduction by 2030. 

Today’s executive action further reinforces the President’s directives to buy American products and ensure that equity and environmental justice are key considerations in federal operations planning and decision making. The Biden Administration expects this action will catalyze the development of at least 10 gigawatts of new clean electricity production by 2030 and accelerate America’s capacity to supply zero-emission vehicles and electric vehicle batteries, spurring the creation of new jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and skilled trades.  

As a leader in federal sustainability, the U.S. Department of Energy is committed to the order’s effective implementation.