M,
EPA FY 2021 Annual Energy Management Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues
to focus on reducing its energy, water and carbon footprint
as part of its mission to protect human health and the
environment. To meet or exceed the requirements of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 (EPAct) and executive orders related to federal
agency sustainability, EPA continued to pursue the following three
strategies in fiscal year (FY) 2021: consolidating facilities, master
planning and implementing energy savings performance contracts
(ESPCs). EPA's energy, water and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
performance in FY 2021 was affected by some employees
continuing to work remotely due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns,
as well as a return to onsite work for other employees.
As part of the agency's continuing effort to maximize building
occupancy and reduce its overall footprint, EPA continued
the renovation of its Main Building in Corvallis, Oregon, to
accommodate personnel from EPA's Region 9 Laboratory. EPA
is also renovating the Main Laboratory Building in Athens,
Georgia to absorb the functions of a second lab. EPA initiated
the planning phase of an infrastructure replacement project at
its laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, to take on additional personnel
from other laboratories. In FY 2021, master plans that included
potential energy- and water-saving projects were completed at
EPA facilities in Edison, New Jersey, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
In FY 2021, work related to ESPCs progressed at two EPA
facilities. The energy services company for EPA's Research
Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina, campus completed
construction as part of RTP's ESPC. Final testing of the high
temperature hot water system and cleaning is underway before
EPA accepts the project. EPA is also awaiting the results from
a formal investment-grade audit as part of an ESPC at its Ann
Arbor, Michigan, laboratory.
EPA's facilities remained at limited capacity for critical laboratory
experiments through the end of FY 2021, though more
employees have returned to work onsite in the laboratories.
Energy intensity remained relatively steady in FY 2021, with a
slight decrease from FY 2020, because heating, cooling and
ventilation requirements in laboratories did not change much
during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Water intensity
increased in FY 2021 because of various mechanical corrections
and increased flushing of systems as more employees returned
to perform work onsite.
In FY 2021, EPA's energy intensity performance was:
0.7 percent lower than FY 2020
41.4 percent lower than the FY 2003 baseline
Figure 1. EPA's Annual Energy Intensity Reductions
450,000
Sj 400,000
o
1—
0
3 350,000
m
•f 300,000
c
0
>
U)
i—
-
>"
>"
>"
>"
>"
>-
o
3=
CM
CO
ID
CD
r*«.
00
O)
o
o
CM
O
o
o
O
O
o
o
o
CN
CM
CM
CM
CM
CM
CM
CM
CM
>-
>-
LL
>"
>"
>-
>-
>-
>"
>"
>-
Fiscal Year
° S
>r ?r
Previous Reduction Target
Historical Energy Intensity (Btu/GSF)
1
-------
In FY 2021, EPA's water intensity performance was:
12.3 percent higher than FY 2020
43.5 percent lower than the FY 2007 baseline
Energy Efficiency
EPA's FY 2021 reported energy intensity was 234,175 British
thermal units (Btu) per gross square foot (GSF), which is 0.7
percent lower than its FY 2020 reported energy intensity of
235,802 Btu per GSF (see Figure 1). EPA's FY 2021 energy
intensity was 41.4 percent lower than the agency's FY 2003
energy intensity of 399,616 Btu per GSF. In absolute terms, EPA's
FY 2021 energy consumption was 814.9 billion Btu. In FY 2021,
the need for increased ventilation as a result of the C0VID-19
pandemic, coupled with consolidation efforts at EPA facilities,
resulted in a net decrease in energy intensity of 1,627 Btu per
GSF from FY 2020.
Renewable Energy
EPA generates onsite renewable energy at facilities where
practical and cost-effective. In FY 2021, onsite renewable
resources at 11 EPA facilities generating wind, solar and
geothermal power supplied EPA with 5.4 billion Btu, equivalent
to 0.6 percent of the agency's energy use. EPA also exceeded
the goal for agencywide electricity use as determined by the
Energy Policy Act of 2005, purchasing more than 7.5 percent of
its electricity use through 8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of direct
green power and renewable energy certificates.
Water Conservation
In FY 2021, EPA's reported water intensity was 20.2 gallons per
GSF, which is 43.5 percent lower than the agency's FY 2007
water intensity of 35.7 gallons per GSF and 12.3 percent higher
than the agency's FY 2020 water intensity of 18.0 gallons per
GSF (see Figure 2). In absolute terms, EPA's FY 2021 water
consumption was 70.2 million gallons, compared to its FY 2007
water consumption of 136.5 million gallons. In FY 2021, EPA's
water intensity increased from FY 2020 due to mechanical
corrections needed at certain facilities and more personnel
working onsite following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns,
which required that systems be flushed more often for health
and safety purposes.
Fleet Efficiency
In FY 2021, fuel consumption by EPA's non-fleet and other
equipment increased 5,137 percent compared to FY 2020.
Multiple factors contributed to the increase. EPA's Lake Explorer
II vessel took more trips in FY 2021 to make up for the canceled
FY 2020 sampling season; the vessel was moved to a dock in
Wisconsin that does not provide power, requiring the use of a
diesel generator instead; and colder weather from January to
May led to an increase in fuel use needed to heat the ship.
Figure 2. EPA's Annual Water Intensity Reductions
EPA Water Intensity FY 2007 to FY 2021
I
40
35
30
to
(!)
o
a.
vt
c
o
7c
(!)
r 25
c
o
t; 20
15
FY 2007 Baseline: 35.7 Gallons per GSF
Previous FY 2015 Target: 30.1 Gallons per GSF
Year-End FY 2021 Water Intensity: 20.2 Gallons per GSF
10
00
cr>
o
o
o
o
o
o
CN
CN
CN
>-
>-
>-
o
-
CN
00
LO
<£)
00
CD
o
o
CN
O
o
o
O
O
o
o
O
CN
CN
CN
CN
CN
CN
CN
CN
CN
>
>-
11
>-
>
>-
>-
>
>-
>-
>-
o
CN
O
CN
>-
CN
O
CN
>"
Fiscal Year
Previous Reduction Requirement
Historical Water Intensity (Gal/GSF)
2
------- |