1. Leading by Example? Federal Agencies and Energy Efficiency
A Candid Survey of Federal Employees
Title Slide

2. About The Research Intelligence Division
Of Government Executive Media Group
Dedicated to Advancing the Business of Government
Through analysis, insight and analytical independence
About GBC – Same on all Decks
Extension of GEMG’s 40 Years of Editorial Standards & Ethical Values
GBC studies influential decision-makers to produce intelligence-based analysis

3. Respondent Profile
Section Start

4. Respondent Profile: Departments and Agencies Represented*
Department of the Air Force
Social Security Administration
Department of the Army
Department of State
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Defense
Department of Agriculture Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Treasury
Department of the Navy
Department of Justice
General Services Administration
Department of Labor
Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of Personnel Management
Department of Commerce
United States Marine Corps
Department of the Interior
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Department of Transportation
United States Postal Service
*Agencies listed in order of frequency

5. 76% of respondents are GS/GM-13 or above
Oversees/Reports
Respondent Profile
The Government Business Council, the research division of Government Executive Media Group, surveyed 172 Government Executive readers from March 27 - April 9, Respondents include those holding GS11-15 grade levels and members of the Senior Executive Service in defense and civilian agencies.
Over three-quarters of respondents are GS/GM-13 or above.
A full sixty percent of respondents oversee at least one direct report.
Job Grade / Rank
76% of respondents are GS/GM-13 or above
Percentage of respondents, n=163, 172 respectively

6. 44% of respondents work in operations
Job Function
Respondent Profile
44% of respondents work in operations
Nearly half of all respondents work in operations.
Other common occupations include agency leadership (14 percent), technical (13 percent), facilities and fleet management (12 percent), and other (11 percent).
Percentage of respondents, n=268

7. Executive Summary
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8. Executive Summary
Federal Managers Strongly Favor Green Policies, Even More Than General Public The federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the American economy. In 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order calling on federal agencies to “lead by example” in improving energy efficiency and federal managers show strong support for such sustainability initiatives. Managers overwhelmingly favor green policies such as better fuel efficiency and increased spending on public transportation. They also favor alternative energy development, but not allowing for more oil and natural gas drilling and tax cuts to energy companies. In comparison to the general public, managers show greater support for green policies and less support for policies expanding oil and natural gas production. Despite Support for Sustainability, Progress within Agencies Is Mixed Despite support for green policies, managers report mixed progress in achieving greater energy efficiency within their agencies. Fossil fuels still dominate federal energy sources. Two-thirds of managers report they are informed of their agency’s sustainability plans and two-thirds feel current energy consumption levels are appropriate. To gauge success, Executive Order stipulated that the Office of Management and Budget must review each agency’s performance and publish scorecards. These scorecards report mixed success. Agencies are succeeding in implementing green technologies, but only six of twenty-four are scoring well in building green buildings. To that end, only forty-four percent of managers expect to work in a green building by Organization and Prioritization of Energy Efficiency Initiatives Needed Managers report low levels of organization in implementing plans. The most commonly cited interferences to implementation are lack of proper funding, competing priorities, and bureaucratic barriers. Managers See Benefits to Green Policies. but Unsure of Success Thus Far When asked whether they feel the federal government is leading by example in energy efficiency, managers show no clear consensus. More managers believe that energy efficiency initiatives will have positive effects on productivity and operations than negative effects. Forty-two percent report that green policies would not interfere with their operations at all and almost half of the managers note that their employees have become more conscious of energy consumption in both their personal and professional lives.

9. Survey Findings
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10. Which of the following government policies do you favor or oppose?
Managers Support Green Policies
Which of the following government policies do you favor or oppose?
Federal managers support green policies over policies expanding fossil fuel development.
Though less popular, over half of all managers still support allowing for more offshore oil and gas drilling in US waters.
The only measure not receiving a majority of manager support is giving tax cuts to energy companies.
Percentage of respondents, n=171

11. Which of the following government policies do you favor?
Public Sector Managers More Supportive of Policies than General Public
Which of the following government policies do you favor?
The general public is less supportive overall of green policies than federal managers.
In particular, the genera public is less supportive of increasing spending on wind, solar, and hydrogen technology and public transportation.
The American public is more supportive than federal managers of measures giving concessions to energy companies to explore for oil and gas.
Percentage of respondents, n=171, “Public” data based on The Pew Research Center’s report, “As Gas Prices Pinch, Support for Oil and Gas Production Grows,” March 19, 2012

12. Energy Priority by Rank
Production More Important than Development of Alternative Sources
Energy Priority by Rank
Rank
Issue
Mean Rank 1
Increase domestic energy production to improve federal security
2.8 2
Diversify the federal energy portfolio to improve energy security
3.0 3
Sponsor the development of alternative energy technology and sources (e.g., wind, solar, hydrogen)
3.1 4
Expand shale and other natural gas sources
3.7 5
Develop clean coal technologies
3.9 6
Expand off-shore oil drilling and oil sands operations
4.0 7
Expand coal exploration and mining
5.3
Federal managers are most concerned with energy security, ranking energy security measures the highest priorities.
The development of alternative energy is a priority for federal managers, ranking it much higher than measures to expand the development of fossil fuels.
Percentage of respondents, n=164

13. Description of Federal Energy Use
Energy Consumption Levels Considered Appropriate in Federal Agencies
“There’s no push to even have people turn off lights in the evening or on the weekend.”
Two-thirds of managers consider current federal energy use efficient or appropriate.
Just over a quarter of federal managers, however, find current usage to be excessive or wasteful.
Some managers explain that no efforts to save energy are in place in their organizations.
Percentage of respondents, n=171

14. Energy Sources Used by Federal Agencies
Fossil Fuels Dominate Current Energy Consumption
Energy Sources Used by Federal Agencies
Managers believe agencies most commonly use oil and natural gas.
More federal managers believe their agency uses solar and wind power for energy than coal.
Almost half (42 percent) of all managers do not know from which energy source their agency obtains its energy needs.
Percentage of respondents, n=169

15. Understanding of Sustainability Plans
Most Managers Informed of Sustainability Plans
Understanding of Sustainability Plans
Over half (58 percent) of managers report they are aware or well-informed of their agency’s sustainability plans, but forty-two percent of managers are not familiar with their agency’s plans.
Some managers state they are unaware of what the sustainability plans entail, while some state they are unsure if there even are plans for their agency.
Bullet 1: Almost Half of all Managers Uninformed of Sustainability Plans
Percentage of respondents, n=170

16. Federal Managers Split Over Plan Difficulty
Managers are split over the difficulty of sustainability plans with 39 percent claiming plans are manageable and 39 percent stating plans are challenging. They are pessimistic that their agency met its 2011 goals, and are split over whether their agency will meet its goals by 2020.
Do you believe your agency met/will meet its sustainability goals?
Sustainability Plan Difficulty
“All we need is funding and priority of available resources.”
Percentage of respondents, n=161, n=161, n=162, respectively

17. Aggregate Agency OMB Scores
Topline OMB Scorecards Show Success and Failure
Aggregate Agency OMB Scores
Reduction in Energy Intensity
Use of Renewable Energy
Reduction in Potable Water Intensity
Based on reports issued by the Office of Management and Budget, agencies perform best in using more renewable energy.
Thirteen agencies failed in achieving their goals for building new green buildings and refurbishing old buildings.
The relative success with renewable energy and mild success with other goals suggests that agencies have made progress in policies, but have difficulty changing cultural habits.
13 scored Green
2 scored Yellow
6 scored Red
3 scored N/A or TBD
17 scored Green
2 scored Yellow
4 scored Red
1 scored N/A or TBD
13 scored Green
2 scored Yellow
6 scored Red
3 scored N/A or TBD
Reduction in Fleet Petroleum Use
Green Buildings
13 agencies scored red on green building initiatives
13 scored Green
0 scored Yellow
7 scored Red
4 scored N/A or TBD
6 scored Green
2 scored Yellow
13 scored Red
3 scored N/A or TBD
*Scorecards reflect 2010 federal agency data, released April 19, 2011

18. Success with Renewables Despite Perceived Difficulty
Perceived Difficulty of Sustainability Goals
Actual Success with Sustainability Goals
Success with Renewables Despite Perceived Difficulty
Rank
Goal
Mean
#Agencies Scoring Green 1
(Most Difficult)
Construction of new green buildings and refurbishment of old building into green buildings
2.28
(Most Success)
Use of renewable energy
18/23 2
Reduction in energy intensity
2.80
Reduction in fleet petroleum use
13/23 3
2.83
Reduction in potable water intensity 4
3.18 5
3.65
6/21
Even though managers rank using renewable energy as quite difficult, agencies are finding the most success of energy efficiency goals in using renewable energy.
Agencies are struggling to achieve reduced potable water intensity, despite managers listing it as the easiest goal to achieve.
[scripting]
Bullet
____ Q:
Answers
Percentage of respondents, n=159, scorecards reflect 2010 federal agency data, released April 19, 2011

19. Progress on OMB Scorecards
Agencies Fail to Meet Green Building Initiatives
Progress on OMB Scorecards
Rank
Goal
# Failing Agencies 1
Construction of new green buildings and refurbishment of old building into green buildings 12 2
Reduction in energy intensity 6 3
Reduction in potable water intensity 4
Reduction in fleet petroleum use 5
Use of renewable energy
Over half of all agencies are failing to meet their green building goals. Of the twenty-one agencies evaluated, twelve agencies are failing.
Fewer agencies are failing to meet goals in reducing energy intensity, potable water intensity, and fleet petroleum use.
“The unfunded mandates are so rigid, it will be hard for my agency to upgrade to 'green buildings' in 10 years or less.”
*Scorecards reflect 2010 federal agency data, released April 19, 2011

20. Managers Who Expect to Work in a Green Building in the Next Ten Years*
Less than Half of Managers Expect to Work in a Green Building in Next Decade
Managers Who Expect to Work in a Green Building in the Next Ten Years*
49% of managers do NOT expect to work in a green building in the next decade.
Nearly half of managers do not expect to work in a green building by 2020, two years past the OMB sustainability goals deadline of 2020.
Some managers note that they will retire in the next few years and do not expect to work in a green building before retirement.
Some managers feel their agency will turn to alternatives such as forced telework to lower energy usage figures in offices.
*7% specified “Other”
Percentage of respondents, n=160

21. “We’re currently under renovation, but many of the green design elements have been stripped due to budget cuts from Congress.”

22. Interferences with Implementation
Funding Greatest Challenge for Green Initiatives
Interferences with Implementation
Half of all managers feel that sustainability initiatives are underfunded in their agency.
Managers also rank competing priorities and bureaucratic barriers as impediments to implementation of energy efficiency initiatives.
Just three percent of managers believe there to be no factors interfering with implementation of initiatives.
Percentage of respondents, n=162

23. Mission-ready or less expensive? Tough choice.“
We rent buildings…it makes it almost impossible for us to realize savings from reducing our environmental footprint.
We have initiated reasonable policies to limit our energy use, but don’t have the technology to have affordable alternate sources.
As long as we hit target, they see no need to use some of their own center funding for sustainable initiatives.
It's a matter of will and getting through the red tape. No one likes change until it is forced on them.
Culture and Red Tape Limit Energy Efficiency
The culture in this agency largely lives with 1950s ideologies and motivations.
Managers note that many of the limitations to executing energy efficiency initiatives are due to bureaucratic barriers and culture.
Some managers feel that such changes must begin at the top, with leadership, or sustainability initiatives will fail.
Other managers describe complications with current building occupancy agreements, such as buildings rented to agencies by the General Services Administration.
If you can't get your director to stop over air-conditioning his office, how will anyone else to follow the rules?
We commit to sustainability. Employees bicycle to work and seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint. ”
Mission-ready or less expensive? Tough choice.
Open-ended comments

24. Organization of Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainability Initiatives Poorly Organized in Both Civilian and Defense Agencies
Organization of Sustainability Initiatives
Civilian and defense agencies report similar perceived levels of organization in the implementation of sustainability initiatives.
The most organized agencies are the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense (each with mean scores, 3.4, 3.1, 2.9, respectively).
Percentage of respondents, n=148

25. Is the Federal Government Leading by Example in Energy Efficiency?
Government Not Clearly Leading by Example
Is the Federal Government Leading by Example in Energy Efficiency?
Despite President Obama’s order to ‘lead by example,’ federal managers are uncertain if agencies are in fact offering a compelling example for American citizens when it comes to energy efficiency.
Sixty percent of federal managers are unsure or unconvinced that the federal government is leading by example.
Yes No
Unsure
40%
35%
25%
Percentage of respondents, n=162

26. Likely Energy Efficiency Initiative Outcomes
Impact on Operations Likely to Be Negligible
Likely Energy Efficiency Initiative Outcomes
Forty-two percent of managers believe that energy efficiency initiatives will not interfere with operations, productivity, or completion of their agency’s mission.
More managers feel that energy efficiency initiatives will have a positive effect on operations and productivity than those that predict negative effects.
Some managers note that while such initiatives may initially hamper operations, energy efficiency initiatives will help agencies in the long run.
Percentage of respondents, n=158

27. Employee Energy Habit Changes
Managers See Improved Employee Energy Consumption Habits
Employee Energy Habit Changes
Nearly half of all managers believe their employees are more conscious of energy consumption in their personal life (47 percent), and nearly as many in their professional life (42 percent) over the past two years.
Just over one-third (35 percent) of federal managers have not observed any noticeable change.
Percentage of respondents, n=161

28. Contact Twitter: @GovBizCouncil @erin_dian www.govexec.com/GBC
Erin Dumbacher
Director of Research
Government Business Council
Tel
Twitter: @GovBizCouncil
@erin_dian