Its annual spending on facility energy has averaged over $3.4 billion recently. In the early 1970s, Congress began mandating reductions in energy consumed by federal agencies, primarily by improving the efficiency of buildings and facilities, and by reducing fossil fuel use. Recent legislation and Executive Orders establish further energy reduction goals. President-elect Obama's recently publicized economic recovery plans include improvements in public building energy efficiency. This report reviews the energy conservation provisions in past and recent legislation applicable to DOD, Executive Orders that apply to all federal facilities and operations, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) directives and instructions to the military departments and agencies. Annual defense appropriations that fund energy conservation measures along with DOD energy conservation investments are also summarized. Defense Energy Efficiency Improvements

Despite reductions in energy consumption, annual energy spending increased up through FY2006 and would likely have been higher without investment in energy efficiency improvements. Over the last decade, Congress has appropriated $443 million in DOD energy conservation projects, DOD investment in energy conservation adds another $250 million, and the value of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) exceeds $2.8 billion. Legislation
In the early 1970s, Congress began mandating reductions in energy consumed by federal agencies; primarily by improving building efficiency, and reducing fossil fuel use. Early legislation mandated a 10% reduction in federal building energy and a recent Executive Order mandates a 30% further reduction by 2015. President-elect Obama has included the goal of improving public building energy efficiency in his administration's economic recovery plan.
This report reviews energy conservation legislation and Executive Orders that apply to the Department of Defense, directives and instructions to the military departments and agencies on implementing the legislation and orders, Defense spending on facility energy over the last decade, annual Defense appropriations that fund energy-conservation improvements, and Defense energy conservation investments.
In FY2007, Defense spending on energy to operate its facilities reached almost $3.5 billion. In the last decade, Congress has appropriated $443 million in Defense energy conservation projects, and the value of contracts to install energy savings improvements has exceeded $2.8 billion. While the Defense Department has reduced its energy consumption, its energy spending increased due to higher energy prices. Congress continues to look at furthering energy efficiency improvements in aging Defense facilities and buildings as a means to rein in energy consumption and spending.