Energy efficiency has been one of the top priorities for the Obama administration as the president has moved through his final term in office. This June, President Obama will roll out new regulatory responsibilities for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will strengthen the federal agency's ability to curtail pollution across the country. While these actions will be legal under the U.S. Clean Air Act, another one of the president's projects has been getting some attention over the last couple of weeks – the Better Buildings Neighborhood Initiative.

This program was started by the president four years ago, as a way to improve the power consumption of local communities across the country. The Department of Energy – which partnered with 41 state and local governments – has made energy-efficient upgrades to both residential and commercial buildings. The federal government initially invested $508 million into this project, with an additional $1 billion being provided by both private and public partners.

As of the end of May, the Better Buildings initiative has been very beneficial for these communities. More than 100,000 buildings in the United States have been upgraded with energy-efficient retrofits, which has saved an accumulated $730 million in power expenses since the program was first started. Of the 41 communities that first received federal assistance for these projects, only 11 still require financial input from the government.

"Upgrading the energy efficiency of our homes and other buildings will save families and businesses money on utility bills and reduce pollution in our communities, moving the nation closer to our clean energy future," Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement.

If you are a Virginia resident interested in reducing the power consumption of your home, schedule an appointment for a home inspection with Alban Inspections!