Pelosi Spokesman Statement on Transfer of House Sustainability Practices to the Architect of the Capitol
Washington, D.C. - Below is a statement from Drew Hammill, spokesman for Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, on the announcement today made by the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) that the functions of the Green the Capitol initiative will now be transferred over to the Architect of the Capitol's Office of Sustainability:
"Today's announcement by the House CAO marks a turning point in the efforts by Leader Pelosi and many other Members, to make the House of Representatives a model of sustainability for the nation. While the initiative has enjoyed bipartisan participation and models the efforts taken by many in the private sector, many Republican Members have chosen to demagogue the issue; the Green the Capitol initiative has been a successful sustainability effort that has saved taxpayer money, cut energy usage, and reduced waste.
"Working closely with the Green the Capitol initiative, Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers has taken bold steps to apply the progress made by the House to the entire Capitol complex. The Architect should continue to implement measures in the most aggressive manner possible including the 50 percent energy reduction goal for the House of Representatives."
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The Green the Capitol initiative was launched in 2007 by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to make House operations a model of sustainability. The House set aggressive targets, including reducing energy use by the House by 50 percent over 10 years and dramatically reducing the institution's carbon footprint.
The House has since reduced its carbon footprint by 74 percent; it began purchasing wind energy to meet all electricity needs and burns only natural gas at the Capitol Power Plant since 2008.
Through energy efficiency measures like computer server consolidation, building upgrades, efficient lighting and other efforts, the House saves $3.2 million per year and could save as much as $50 million over a 10-year window.