Planning Goal Setting And Implementing Energy Savings Through Procurement Policies For County Governments PDF Download

As the prices of domestically produced and imported energy continue to skyrocket, the need for increased efforts to save energy grows. While states and their political subdivisions can encourage energy conservation in a variety of ways, they can set an example for their citizens and save energy themselves by becoming more conscious of the energy impacts of government purchasing and more committed to energy-efficient procurement. This report examines the progress made by states in this area since the enactment in 1975 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). One part of this law authorizes Federal assistance to states for the preparation and implementation of energy-conservation plans to include, among other elements, energy-efficient procurement standards and policies. Three and a half years after EPCA's passage, state and local energy-efficient procurement programs, with a few exceptions, have barely advanced beyond infancy. The major reasons for this are a lack of reliable energy-efficiency information on many energy-consuming products, a resistance to change on the part of purchasing officials or their superiors, and a reluctance in the tax-revolt era to spend money in order to save money as well as energy. To overcome these obstacles, states and localities should consider mandating energy-efficient procurement practices through either executive orders or legislation. In addition, states and localities should consider adopting institutional arrangements, such as centralized purchasing and joint or cooperative purchasing that will facilitate energy-efficient procurement. To further state and local efforts in this area, the Federal government should provide technical and financial assistance to an organization or purchasing officials to establish an information clearinghouse.