[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 33987-33988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14616]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 16, 2010 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 33987]]
Memorandum of June 10, 2010
Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate--
Increasing Sales Proceeds, Cutting Operating Costs, and
Improving Energy Efficiency
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies
My Administration is committed to eliminating all forms
of Government waste and to leading by example as our
Nation transitions to a clean energy economy. For
decades, the Federal Government, the largest property
owner and energy user in the United States, has managed
more real estate than necessary to effectively support
its programs and missions. Both taxpayer dollars and
energy resources are being wasted to maintain these
excess assets. In addition, many of the properties
necessary for the Government's work are not operated
efficiently, resulting in wasted funds and excessive
greenhouse gas pollution. For example, over the past
decade, the private sector reduced its data center
footprint by capitalizing on innovative technologies to
increase efficiencies. However, during that same
period, the Federal Government experienced a
substantial increase in the number of data centers,
leading to increased energy consumption, real property
expenditures, and operations and maintenance costs.
Past attempts at reducing the Federal Government's
civilian real property assets produced small savings
and had a minor impact on the condition and performance
of mission-critical properties. These efforts were not
sufficiently comprehensive in disposing of excess real
estate and did not emphasize making more efficient use
of existing assets.
To eliminate wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars,
save energy and water, and further reduce greenhouse
gas pollution, I hereby direct executive departments
and agencies (agencies) to accelerate efforts to
identify and eliminate excess properties. Agencies
shall also take immediate steps to make better use of
remaining real property assets as measured by
utilization and occupancy rates, annual operating cost,
energy efficiency, and sustainability. To the extent
permitted by law, agency actions shall include
accelerating cycle times for identifying excess assets
and disposing of surplus assets; eliminating lease
arrangements that are not cost effective; pursuing
consolidation opportunities within and across agencies
in common asset types (such as data centers, office
space, warehouses, and laboratories); increasing
occupancy rates in current facilities through
innovative approaches to space management and
alternative workplace arrangements, such as telework;
and identifying offsetting reductions in inventory when
new space is acquired. Agency actions taken under this
memorandum shall align with and support the actions to
measure and reduce resource use and greenhouse gas
emissions in Federal facilities pursuant to Executive
Order 13514 of October 5, 2009 (Federal Leadership in
Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance), and
the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative, which
was announced by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) in February 2010.
In total, agency efforts required by this memorandum
should produce no less than $3 billion in cost savings
by the end of fiscal year 2012, yielded from increased
proceeds from the sale of assets and reduced operating,
maintenance, and energy expenses from disposals or
other space consolidation efforts, including leases
that are ended. This is in addition to the Department
of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure efforts that
are expected to achieve $9.8 billion in savings from
fiscal year 2010 to fiscal
[[Page 33988]]
year 2012, of which $5 billion is a direct result of
reduced operating and maintenance from disposals or
other consolidation efforts. In addition, in order to
address the growth of data centers across the Federal
Government, agencies shall immediately adopt a policy
against expanding data centers beyond current levels,
and shall develop plans to consolidate and
significantly reduce data centers within 5 years.
Agencies shall submit their plans to OMB for review by
August 30, 2010.
To achieve these goals, the Director of the OMB shall
develop, in consultation with the Administrator of
General Services and the Federal Real Property Council
established pursuant to Executive Order 13327 of
February 4, 2004 (Federal Real Property Asset
Management), within 90 days of the date of this
memorandum, guidance for actions agencies should take
to carry out the requirements of this memorandum. The
guidance shall include agency-specific targets to
achieve $3 billion in cost savings and shall be
developed in consultation with the agencies. The
Administrator of General Services, in consultation with
the Director of the OMB, shall coordinate agency
efforts to satisfy the requirements of this memorandum
and shall submit to the President periodic reports on
the results achieved.
This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
The Director of the OMB is hereby authorized and
directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal
Register.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, June 10, 2010
[FR Doc. 2010-14616
Filed 6-15-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3110-01-P