Carbon Neutral by 2050: This Government Sets Green Example

The federal government of the United States will implement measures to become carbon neutral by 2050, and by setting an example, it hopes to boost the market for green energy.

“The federal government in so many areas is one of, if not the largest, purchaser,” says Joshua Freed, senior vice president for climate and energy at the research group Third Way. “Having the certainty the government is going to purchase cleaner products, materials and vehicles enables companies to move in that direction.”

Federal agencies will have to power their 300,000 facilities with wind, solar or nuclear energy by 2030 – and cut in half building operations like heating by 2032 – and change their 600,000 vehicles for electric ones by 2035. If only 40% of all the electricity purchased by the federal government comes from renewable sources at the moment, the goal is to reach 100% by the end of the decade. President Biden’s plan is “a massive opportunity to create millions of clean energy jobs, save taxpayer money through reduced energy costs, and build a more sustainable future for generations of Americans,” explains Robin Carnahan, administrator of the General Services Administration.