New energy proposal would offset power plants with green building

April 9, 2015

Fossil fuel power plants produce a significant portion of the country's annual emissions, according to the National Resources Defense Council. In fact, power plants in the U.S.  are responsible for generating over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. This massive amount of gas accounts for nearly 40 percent of all the harmful emissions released in the U.S. , so it's no surprise that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently sought to address this potent source of pollution.

The EPA proposed comprehensive strategies for reducing carbon emissions from new power plants in September 2013 and began the regulatory process to propose a federal plan to meet goals for cutting carbon pollution from existing power plants January 2015. Dubbed the "Clean Power Plan," this pending legislation would encourage governments and businesses to make operations more sustainable, reduce pollution and lower the power grid's dependence on costly fossil fuel-burning plants, according to the EPA. Assuming the legislation passes, green building provides a means for private and public organizations to reduce carbon pollution.

Green building key to EPA proposal
As opposed to directly regulating power plants, the EPA's pending Clean Power Plan will instead apply to states that are currently running fossil fuel plants. Multiple improvement goals are outlined by the EPA in the proposal, including adding renewable energy projects, demand-side energy efficiency and energy conservation programs, energy storage technology and finding ways to make plants more efficient. State governments would be tasked with organizing and implementing individual strategies to comply with the Clean Power Plan.

The U.S. Green Building Council pointed out that green building projects offer a means of meeting carbon reduction goals outlined in the Clean Power Plan. There's plenty of overlap between applying green building techniques, working to achieve above-code certifications like LEED and the EPA's goal to cut pollution and protect health and environment. Forward-thinking companies expecting the EPA's Clean Power Plan to pass can get a head  start on compliance by researching green building solutions that can be deployed in building projects.

Plan will establish new rules for power plants
The EPA's Clean Power Plan proposal is still being finalized, and it is expected to issue final rules for existing power plants in the States by mid-summer of this year. Although the proposal is still far from being turned into a law, the Capitol Hill savvy know that the legislation actually has a legitimate chance of becoming a law in the near future. In stark contrast to the majority of bills that reach the House or the Senate, The Hill noted that green building legislation is one of the most likely opportunities for bipartisan compromise.

Energy efficiency helps businesses improve their global competitiveness and improve tenant productivity, addressing complementary goals for conservative and liberal lawmakers. As a result, The Hill emphasized that energy efficiency is an issue that both sides can agree on.

Notable trends in green building
Widespread use of green building techniques will help to minimize the private and public sector's energy consumption, subsequently cutting carbon pollution. Plant Engineering pointed out that besides a growing building retrofit market, zero energy buildings are trending and appear ready to skyrocket as more mechanical engineers design low energy use intensity facilities on conventional budgets.

Buildings erected in locations with plenty of sunlight, for example, are prime candidates for offsetting electricity use through renewable energy generation. Advances in building automation and controls are allowing green building to partner solar with a supplementary technology like thermal energy storage which would allow such a facility to store renewable energy for later use. Furthermore, renewable energy strategies and energy storage are directly in line with improvement goals outlined by the Clean Power Plan.