In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama urged Americans to embrace a new energy future:

Tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: by 2035, 80% of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources. Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal we will need them all – and I urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen.

In support of this goal, the President’s office today rolled out a vision for making American businesses more energy efficient through the “Better Buildings Initiative.” The results? In part:

• 20% by 2020 – Under the President’s plan, by 2020, we will make commercial building space in the United States 20% more energy efficient through cost-effective upgrades.
• Energy cost reductions of $40 billion – By making buildings more energy efficient, business owners will reduce energy bills by about $40 billion at today’s prices.

The President has proffered a long list of initiatives to move us toward a more energy-independent future. Among them:

• New tax incentives for building efficiency, including an amendment to EPAct’s section 179(d) to make it more attractive for building owners.
• More and better financing opportunities for commercial retrofits.
• “Race to Green” for state and municipal governments.
• Better Buildings Challenge for public and private institutions.

Obama’s plan has been welcomed with open arms by leading real estate groups, including BOMA, the National Multi Housing Council, and the National Apartment Association. According to BOMA International Chair Ray H. Mackey, Jr.:

We applaud President Obama’s new energy policy to improve energy efficiency in commercial, multi-family and institutional buildings. The initiative includes the critical business incentives, such as the commercial building tax credit and loan guarantees, that are key to meeting the energy efficiency goals of the plan.

The task is monumental, but at Octus we’re excited to be a part of the President’s plan to improve the quality of life for American citizens and enhance the competitiveness of our economy.

+++++++++++++++

Post-script: Quick piece in Greener Buildings, amplifying the opportunity and echoing Octus’s purpose and focus …

“With 80 billion square feet of commercial space that needs to be retired or retrofitted over the next 20 to 30 years, there is an enormous market opportunity right in front of us,” said Victor Olgyay, a principal with Rocky Mountain Institute‘s buildings practice.

While the Obama administration’s proposed initiative is a step in the right direction, deep energy retrofits — those that save at least 50 percent of energy operating costs with positive financial returns — offer greater opportunities for cost savings by recognizing how efficiency gains in one system can affect other building systems and attributes. These interrelationships often let many small improvements combine to create substantially larger benefits.