Heinrich, Smith, Castor, Tonko Urge Biden Administration to Electrify Government Buildings, Transition to Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), co-chairs and founders of the Electrification Caucus, are urging the General Services Administration (GSA) to lead the transition of buildings away from fossil fuels and toward high efficiency heating and cooling systems. Government buildings consumed nearly $6 billion of energy in 2021 and accounted for 40% of federal energy demand. This demand is both a liability as fossil fuels spike, and an opportunity to support new jobs in electrification.

“Specifically, we urge you to transition buildings to heat pumps when old heating and cooling units go out of service. Air source heat pumps can heat spaces and water three to five times more efficiently than with fossil fuels and ground source heat pumps can achieve even greater efficiency. And, importantly, they do not release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or airborne particulate into our work spaces and the environment. With recent advances, heat pumps are more useful than ever,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan.

The Electrification Caucus just released a fact sheet highlighting the game-changing provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that will electrify America’s future.

“Improving our energy efficiency is more important than ever. Fossil fuel prices are driving record high inflation as the climate crisis delivers heat waves and drought to much of the country. We urge GSA to use high efficiency heat pumps in our federal buildings,” the lawmakers continued.

The full text of the letter is below and you may download the PDF here. 

Dear Administrator Carnahan,

We write to urge the General Services Administration (GSA) to lead the transition of our buildings away from fossil fuels and toward high efficiency heating and cooling systems. Government buildings consumed nearly $6 billion of energy in 2021 and accounted for 40% of federal energy demand. This demand is both a liability as fossil fuels skyrocket, and an opportunity to support new jobs in electrification.

Specifically, we urge you to transition buildings to heat pumps when old heating and cooling units go out of service. Air source heat pumps can heat spaces and water three to five times more efficiently than with fossil fuels and ground source heat pumps can achieve even greater efficiency. And, importantly, they do not release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or airborne particulate into our work spaces and the environment. With recent advances, heat pumps are more useful than ever. Heat pump water heaters can air condition spaces in the summer while simultaneously providing hot water. Meanwhile, cold climate heat pumps have made it possible to heat homes anywhere in the United States in the winter. Heat pumps offer the versatility of being both a cooling and heating system which further improves cost savings during installation.

We appreciate that GSA has selected cutting edge heat pump technologies, like those that use CO2 as a refrigerant, in the Green Proving Ground program. We encourage you to go further by also specifying the use of currently available cold-climate heat pump technologies in building upgrades and new construction. GSA can build on prior investments in efficiency while sending a clear signal to manufacturers and installers to scale-up our work force for the energy transition.

Improving our energy efficiency is more important than ever. Fossil fuel prices are driving record high inflation as the climate crisis delivers heat waves and drought to much of the country. We urge GSA to use high efficiency heat pumps in our federal buildings.

Sincerely,