White House says it now "green" from energy savings
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
USA: December 3, 1999
by Patrick Connole
"Every house in the country can become more energy efficient," Browner said, pointing out that usage of new, energy-saving lightbulbs saves the White House $22,000 a year.
Besides dumping old incandescent table lamp bulbs with fluorescent ones, the White House complex, which includes other buildings like the Old Executive Office Building - recently renamed in honour of President Dwight Eisenhower - has been refitted with a new White House roof, and Energy Star refrigerators, computers and water sprinklers.
The Energy Star designation is the government's stamp of approval for efficient products under a programme started in 1993 for computers alone. Now, Browner said there are 3,400 Energy Star products, made by more than 1,000 manufacturers, ranging from heaters and coolers to dishwashers and televisions.
In total, the Greening of the White House effort has saved taxpayers $1.4 million since 1993 and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 845 tons a year, equivalent to removing 600 cars from the roads.
Besides new product purchases, the White House has told staff to shut off computers before leaving work, conserve office supplies and use recycled paper.
This past June, in a move to broaden a "lead by example" strategy on the environment, President Clinton signed an executive order directing all federal agencies to achieve a 35 percent greater energy efficiency in buildings relative to 1985 levels by the year 2010.
The order also mandated a 30 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from building-related energy use relative to 1990.
Richardson noted that in the 1830s the White House became the first American residence with indoor running water, starting a string of innovations to the present time.
Some have not worked though. During the Carter administration in the 1970s, workers installed solar panels to heat water for the Navy Dining Mess, but President Ronald Reagan had them removed since the panels did not function as well as intended, the White House said.