Apr 13 2010
The General Service Administration (GSA) of the US recently reached a significant landmark in the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The administrative agency declared that it has invested an amount of $4 billion under the scheme for converting the existing federal buildings into greener buildings yielding higher performance, and awarded the building projects to over 500 companies, thus creating job opportunities in the 2 territories and 50 states of the US as well as the District of Columbia.
The GSA has utilized the recovery funds for financing 391 new projects since the Act came into effect. The agency further channeled the Recovery act funds to provide US federal constructions with cost-effective and energy-saving sustainable buildings without imposing extra costs to tax payers. These additional projects were valued at $173 million.
In response to the US President’s call for driving growth in the economy and creating jobs for people, GSA efficiently organized its operations to award construction contracts at an accelerated pace to build hundreds of sustainable projects all over the nation. GSA has incorporated advanced sustainable construction plans and green technology in all its new constructions and other major reconstructions to accomplish a minimum of one LEED Silver certification for each building.
The Recovery Act has allowed the GSA more than $5.5 billion worth funds to transform all the existing federal amenities into high performing green buildings and to build more number of energy-efficient national buildings and land ports of entrance. The conceived projects in addition to creating more number of jobs are expected to provide nationwide infrastructure that reduces the consumption of energy and water and allows the increased use of renewable clean energy sources.
Administrator of General Services, Martha Johnson said that the Recovery Act investments used in the creation of greener and energy saving federal buildings would help in saving tax payers’ money due to the introduction energy efficient constructions, and in the building of a sustainable national economy.
Source: http://www.gsa.gov