Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced plans to use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to upgrade federal buildings across the country with emerging and sustainable technologies. These plans are in line with President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14057, which launched the Federal Sustainability Plan and charged the federal government to “lead by […]
As power generation shifts to clean energy, using electricity more efficiently will be critical for reducing costs, averting blackouts, and cutting pollution, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The group evaluated five U.S. grid regions (California, Texas, the Pacific Northwest, the Southeast, and the Midwest) and found that […]
Organizations wanting to go green typically install rooftop or ground-mounted solar projects or buy renewable energy credits. But a water utility in New Jersey has embraced a novel approach, installing North America’s largest floating solar project. Consisting of 16,510 solar panels, the 8.9-megawatt (MW) solar array covers 17 acres of the Canoe Brook reservoir in […]
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with major utility Xcel Energy. Under the MOU, the parties will work toward powering federal facilities in Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin with 100% carbon-pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030. The deal is in […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering more funding to help school districts across the country make the switch to alternative fuel bus fleets. In late April, the agency launched a $400 million round of grants under its Clean School Bus Program, with applications due by Aug. 22. The funding is made possible by […]
The sprawling campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is dotted with buildings dedicated to the many sciences needed to power the country’s push toward clean energy. Researchers inside one building explore the dynamics of harnessing the sun for energy. Those in another are determining the best ways to convert […]
In a move to step-up its clean energy goals, the University of California (UC) has signed its first-ever wind energy contract. The deal represents the university’s largest renewable energy commitment to date in support of campus decarbonization. UC entered the 85 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement with Pattern Energy, which is developing the 3,500 MW […]
Covering the roofs of America’s warehouses and distribution centers with solar panels could generate enough clean energy to power nearly 20 million homes, according to a new report from the Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. “If we want to create a clean energy future, we should look first to the already-built […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. WNBA Training Facility Built by Women The WNBA’s Seattle Storm is building a new state-of-the-art training facility in the team’s hometown. The Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance will include two side-by-side basketball courts; two exterior 3x […]
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials announced completion of major solar projects at five upstate correctional facilities. The projects total more than 30 megawatts (MW) and directly support New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which calls for 70% of New York’s electricity to be sourced from renewable energy by 2030. The […]