The Obama administration set its target for reducing the energy used by the federal government by “28 percent by 2020.”  The U.S. government is the largest energy consumer in the United States and this reductions will not only help to reduce the countries contribution to climate change, but will also result in “$8 to $11 billion in avoided energy costs through 2020.”

President Obama said, “as the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient.”  “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift Federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy.”

The various agencies will be requires to measure their current energy and fuel use to become more energy efficient as well as switch to alternative energy sources such as wind and solar.  All of the information for the agencies and the changes they make will be available online as part of a new open government initiative by the Obama Administration.  You can read the full White House press release here.

The Whitehouse.gov website reports the “nation’s fleet of wind plants grew by 39% last year alone.”  The industry was expected to lose approximately 50% of its plants and jobs during the year of 2008.  Because of stimulus spending the industry was able avoid a 50% decline.  They instead grew the green wind energy sector by 39%.

The White House website says, “America’s wind power fleet will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road.”  With further commitment to the clean energy the United States should see a direct benefit by adding green jobs and by reducing the impact the country has on climate change.

Early last year, before [ARRA], the industry anticipated that in 2009 wind power development might drop by as much as 50% from 2008 levels, with equivalent job losses.  The clear commitment by the President to create clean energy jobs and the swift implementation of ARRA incentives by the Administration in mid-summer reversed the situation. Recovery Act incentives spurred the growth of construction, operations and maintenance, and management jobs, helping the industry to save and create jobs in those sectors and shine as a bright spot in the economy.