The Energy Independence Act, passed in 2007 with the goal of reducing the federal government's dependence on foreign energy sources and encouraging the development of renewable energy in the U.S., is starting to bring about some real results. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration data, the federal government used less electricity and liquid fuels in 2013 than it has in any year since 1975, when record keeping on federal government energy use began.

With more than 500,000 buildings and 600,000 vehicles to fuel, the U.S. government is the largest consumer of energy resources in the country. Therefore, various politicians have called upon federal agencies to "lead by example," as President Obama put it in a speech announcing his energy plan. Under the Energy Independence Act, government agencies are required to reduce their energy consumption per square foot by 3 percent each year, and by 30 percent in 2015 compared to 2003 statistics.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the government curbed its energy use by 21 percent in 2013 as compared to 2003. However, the government still has a way to go to meet its own goals. An Obama administration executive order requires federal agencies to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Even the military is getting involved, with the Navy working toward its own goal to draw half of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and the military requisitioning biofuels for the first time ever in 2014. 

If you want to reduce your energy consumption in your own home, a good place to start is with a home energy audit from Alban Inspections. Contact Alban for more information on home energy efficiency today.