Government Affairs

An Overview of Executive Order 13693 featured image

An Overview of Executive Order 13693

As 2020 approaches, contractors who bid on government construction contracts should consult a construction attorney in Brentwood, TN, for assistance with maintaining compliance with Executive Order 13693. EO 13693 calls for “all new construction of Federal buildings greater than 5,000 gross square feet” to follow design plans aimed at achieving “energy net-zero and, where feasible, water or waste net-zero by fiscal year 2030.”

This portion of EO 13693 stipulates that these changes be made starting in 2020, but it’s only one small part of a sweeping initiative that features an array of actions split across numerous timelines. In this article, a construction law attorney in Brentwood, TN, will detail this complex executive order and identify some of its most important guidelines.

The Goal of EO 13693

As a global leader, the United States is responsible for advancing sustainability and finding solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This goal forms the foundation of EO 13693, which calls upon federal agencies and contracted parties to promote building energy conservation, efficiency, and management through various practices. This includes, starting in 2015, the implementation of measures to decrease agency building energy intensity by 2.5 percent on a yearly basis through the end of fiscal year 2025.

An Optimistic Outlook

Are the goals of EO 13693 realistic? When it was established in early 2015, this executive order called for:

  • 40 percent decrease in the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions over the next ten years.
  • 30 percent increase in the federal government’s renewable electricity consumption over the next ten years.
  • 25 percent of total energy consumption by federal agencies, both electric and thermal, to be sourced from clean energy conduits by 2025.
  • 2.5 percent yearly reduction in energy use in federal buildings from 2015 to 2025.

These figures include already constructed buildings as well as new construction, so contractors working on government contracts must be cognizant of how these guidelines affect their building processes and bottom line.

Other Considerations for Contractors

In addition to the information mentioned above, contractors should also consider the following:

  • Construction projects related to the renovation, repair, or alteration of agency buildings must include “appropriate design and deployment of fleet charging infrastructure.” This includes utilizing climate-resilient design and management elements in both new and existing agency buildings.
  • The federal government wants to increase the use of BioPreferred and biobased products in construction, which could affect your firm’s ability to procure government contracts. In addition, contractors will be tasked with submitting “timely annual reports” detailing their purchase and use of these products.
  • Contractors should actively employ waste management protocols to divert at least 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste from construction and demolition materials and debris.

If you would like to speak with a construction lawyer in Brentwood, TN, please contact us today.

 

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.