Energy-Efficient Building Standards for State Facilities

In November of 2019, Governor Mills signed Executive Order 13, which requires state agencies to develop and implement a sustainability plan to meet or exceed the states renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction timelines and targets. It further requires the procurement of environmentally preferable products and services, encourage practices that lead to less wasteful workplaces and account for climate change projections when designing or siting new facilities or projects. The full text of the executive order can be found here.

Maine Statutes Title 5, Section 1764-A also requires that plans and designs for the construction of new or substantially renovated buildings owned or leased by the state include: (1) the consideration of energy efficiency, (2) an energy use target that exceeds standards for commercial and institutional buildings by at least 20%, and (3) a life-cycle cost analysis over a minimum of 30 years that explicitly addresses the costs and benefits of efficiency improvements. The state agency responsible for approving  the new construction or renovation may not grant approval until the entity proposing the construction has shown that it has duly considered the most energy-efficient and environmentally efficient designs that are suitable.

History

Legislation in 2009 created the Task Force to Advance Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and Independence at State Facilities; the Task Force issued its recommendations in January 2010.

Further back, in March 2005, the governor of Maine announced that the state would join the federal “Energy Star Challenge.” As part of this partnership, the state committed to encouraging building owners and operators throughout Maine to improve energy efficiency by 10% or more using performance contracting and other mechanisms. The state also agreed to track energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from government buildings and identify the best ways to improve energy efficiency in those buildings.