The audits generally fall into three categories— preliminary, targeted, and comprehensive—and are distinguished by the  level of detail and analysis required. AOC Has Made Some Progress toward Implementing GAO’s Recommendations on Energy Audits and Implementing Projects that Decrease Emissions

AOC has made some progress toward implementing the two  recommendations in our April 2007 report. Additionally, AOC has  contracted with a private firm to conduct a preliminary energy audit of the  Senate Office Buildings that could prove useful in identifying opportunities  for more comprehensive and targeted evaluations. However, AOC’s prioritized list does not provide information on the  energy intensity of each building, an explanation of its prioritization  scheme, or cost estimates. Furthermore, AOC has not developed a  schedule for routinely conducting audits as we recommended in our April  2007 report. We believe  that developing a more detailed schedule for future audits along with an  explanation of its prioritization scheme and cost estimates would assist  the Congress in its appropriations decisions and facilitate the completion  of additional audits. Second, AOC can do more to fully address the second recommendation in  our April 2007 report that it implement selected projects as part of an  overall plan to reduce emissions that considers cost-effectiveness, the  extent to which the projects reduce emissions, and funding options. In  recent years, AOC has undertaken numerous projects throughout the  Capitol Hill Complex to reduce energy use and related emissions, but  these projects were not identified through the process we recommended. According to AOC, these efforts have already  decreased the energy intensity throughout the Capitol Hill Complex. As AOC moves forward with identifying and selecting projects that could  decrease energy use and related emissions, it could further respond to our  recommendation by developing a plan that identifies the potential benefits  and costs of each option based on the results of energy audits. Efforts to Further Reduce Energy Consumption May Prove More Cost- Effective Than Other Measures in Decreasing Emissions

The Senate has three primary options for decreasing greenhouse gas  emissions and related environmental impacts associated with its  operations. These include (1) implementing additional projects to  decrease the demand for electricity and steam derived from fossil fuel; (2)  adjusting the Capitol Power Plant’s fuel mix to rely more heavily on  natural gas, which produces smaller quantities of greenhouse gas  emissions for each unit of energy input than the coal and oil also burned in  the plant; and (3) purchasing renewable electricity or carbon offsets from  external providers. Each option involves economic and environmental  tradeoffs and the first option is likely to be the most cost-effective because  the projects could lead to recurring cost savings through reductions in  energy expenditures. In pursuing energy audits, AOC faces a significant challenge collecting  reliable data on the baseline level of energy use within each Senate office  building. First, while AOC has meters that track  electricity use in each building, the meters that track the steam and chilled  water used by each building no longer work or provide unreliable data. AOC officials said that they have purchased but not installed new meters  to track the use of chilled water and are evaluating options for acquiring  new steam meters. Such  submetering would further assist in targeting aspects of the Senate  buildings’ operations that consume relatively high quantities of energy. AOC said that it plans to install submeters for electricity, chilled water,  and steam by February 2009. Thus, fuel switching may prove less cost-effective than decreasing the  demand for energy. Finally, a third option for the Senate to decrease greenhouse gas emissions  and related environmental impacts includes purchasing electricity that is  derived from renewable sources and paying external parties for carbon  offsets.
Why GAO Did This Study

In April 2007, GAO reported that 96 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from the Capitol Hill Complex facilities--managed by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC)--resulted from electricity use throughout the complex and combustion of fossil fuels in the Capitol Power Plant. The report concluded that AOC and other legislative branch agencies could benefit from conducting energy audits to identify projects that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. GAO also recommended that AOC and the other agencies establish a schedule for conducting these audits and implement selected projects as part of an overall plan that considers cost-effectiveness, the extent to which the projects reduce emissions, and funding options. AOC and the other agencies agreed with our recommendations. This statement focuses on (1) the status of AOC's efforts to implement the recommendations in our April 2007 report and (2) opportunities for the Senate to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and associated environmental impacts. The statement is based on GAO's prior work, analysis of AOC documents, and discussions with AOC management.

What GAO Found

AOC has made some progress toward implementing the recommendations in GAO's April 2007 report, but opportunities remain. For example, AOC has prioritized a list of Capitol Hill buildings that need energy audits but has not developed a schedule for conducting the audits that explains the prioritization scheme or provides information on the anticipated costs. AOC prioritized the order of energy audits based on each building's energy use and has begun conducting the first of the audits. In addition, AOC has contracted with a private firm to conduct preliminary audits of the Senate office buildings that could lead to more targeted audits and eventually identify cost-effective projects that would decrease energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that developing a more detailed schedule for future audits that includes an explanation of the prioritization scheme and cost estimates would assist the Congress in its appropriations decisions and facilitate the completion of additional audits. With respect to our recommendation that AOC implement selected projects as part of an overall plan to reduce emissions, AOC has implemented projects to reduce energy use and related emissions, but the projects were not identified through the processes we recommended. AOC could more fully respond to our recommendation by first completing the energy audits and then evaluating the cost-effectiveness and relative merits of projects that could further decrease the demand for energy. The Senate's options for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions and related environmental impacts associated with its operations fall into three main categories--implementing projects to decrease the demand for electricity and steam derived from fossil fuels, adjusting the Capitol Power Plant's fuel mix, and purchasing carbon offsets or renewable electricity from external providers. Of these options, efforts to decrease the demand for energy could lead to recurring cost savings through reductions in energy expenditures while the other options may prove less cost-effective and involve recurring expenses. However, a key challenge in identifying energy-saving opportunities results from limited data on the baseline level of energy use within each Senate building. Specifically, the meters for steam and chilled water no longer function or do not provide reliable data. In addition, the buildings are not equipped with submeters for electricity that, if installed, could enhance efforts to identify sections of the buildings that consume relatively high levels of energy. AOC has purchased but not installed new chilled water meters, is evaluating options for acquiring new steam meters, and plans to install submeters by February 2009.