Facilities Management News
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IFMA supports federal training act
HOUSTON— Representatives Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., and Judy Biggert, R-Ill., along with Senators Tom Carper, D-Del., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced the “Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010,” a bill that calls for professional training and credentialing of all federal building personnel.
The bill directs the General Services Administration — in consultation with industry associations and others — to identify core competencies, professional certifications, a recommended curriculum and continuing education courses to ensure that federal buildings are operated in accordance with industry best practices and standards.
“Facilities still account for at least 40% of all energy use in the United States and 40% of atmospheric emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “As America’s largest real property owner, the federal government can play a significant role in recruiting and retaining facility professionals with the skills and experience required to reduce the impact their facility portfolios have on the natural and built environments.”
Recent IFMA research has shown that for every $1 spent on facility management training, organizations reported receiving an average of $3.95 in return. By providing for the education and training of federal facility professionals, the government will ensure that facilities are not only an asset, but that they also use less energy, require fewer repairs and save taxpayer dollars in the long run.
“Sustainability and energy conservation isn’t just about the air we breathe or the water we drink. It’s about saving money for families, businesses and taxpayers,” said Rep. Carnahan, author of the House of Representatives legislation and co-chair of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition. “If we’re going to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, in addition to investing in energy efficient buildings, we must invest in the people maintaining those buildings so that we recoup the largest energy and cost savings possible.”
To learn more about the proposed legislation, visit www.carnahan.house.gov
For more information on the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition, go to www.hpbccc.org
To learn more about IFMA’s government affairs efforts, visit www.ifma.org
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Energy use shows economy rebounding
MILWAUKEE—The fourth annual Energy Efficiency Indicator released by Johnson Controls indicates that the economy is doing better.
A survey of more than 1,400 North American executives and managers responsible for making investments and managing energy in commercial buildings found that planned investment in energy efficiency is expected to rebound in 2010. Following a decline last year, the survey found that 52% (up from 46%) are planning to make capital investments in energy efficiency and 60% are planning (up from 55%) to make operating budget expenditures in efficiency programs over the next 12 months. However, a significant number of the business leaders surveyed (38%) said that the largest barrier to making energy efficiency investments is limited capital availability. |
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For more information, see www.johnsoncontrols.com
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U.S. opens first offshore wind farm
BOSTON—U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced approval of Cape Wind with a favorable Record of Decision for the project to be constructed on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts.
Cape Wind’s proposal to build America’s first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal would provide most of the electricity used on Cape Cod and the Islands from clean, renewable energy - reducing the region’s need to import oil, coal and gas. Cape Wind will create new jobs, help stabilize electric costs, contribute to a healthier environment, increase energy independence and establish Massachusetts as a leader in offshore wind power.
For more information visit www.capewind.org
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GSA puts green into going green
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has marked another major milestone in its implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
To transform federal buildings into higher performing, greener buildings, the agency announced that it awarded construction projects to more than 500 companies creating jobs in all 50 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia by investing $4 billion in Recovery Act funds.
For more information, see www.gsa.gov
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GW and RWJF create health reform website
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have launched Health Reform GPS, a comprehensive Web portal that offers users the information and insights needed to cover, analyze and implement recently passed health reform legislation.
Health Reform GPS will be a valuable resource for policymakers as well as journalists, researchers, policy analysts and health reform stakeholders looking for comprehensive information about all phases of the law and the process of implementation.
For more information, visit, www.healthreformGPS.org
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USGBC launches LEED for Neighborhood Development program
WASHINGTON, D.C.––The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) announced the launch of the LEED for Neighborhood Development green neighborhoods rating system.
LEED for Neighborhood Development integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building and benefits communities by reducing urban sprawl, increasing transportation choice and decreasing automobile dependence, encouraging healthy living, and protecting threatened species.
For more information, see www.usgbc.org
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