Executive Order 13514

Executive Order 13514 is an executive order titled Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance which U.S. President Barack Obama issued on October 5, 2009. EO 13514 was replaced by Executive Order 13693, titled Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, issued by Obama on March 19, 2015.

Executive Order 13514 mandated that at least 15 percent of existing federal buildings and leases should meet Energy Efficiency Guiding Principles by 2015, and that annual progress be made toward 100 percent conformance of all federal buildings, with a goal of 100% of all new federal buildings achieving zero-net-energy by 2030. The U.S. government is the largest consumer of energy in America. It has roughly 500,000 buildings, and most of these buildings are energy-inefficient. Fifteen percent of 500,000 buildings is 75,000 buildings.

The executive order states that "the Federal Government must lead by example ... increase energy efficiency; measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect activities ... design, construct, maintain, and operate high performance sustainable buildings in sustainable locations; strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which Federal facilities are located; and inform Federal employees about and involve them in the achievement of these goals."

"Zero-net-energy building" is defined in Executive Order 13514 as "a building that is designed, constructed, and operated to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy to operate, meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases, and therefore result in no net emissions of greenhouse gases and be economically viable."

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