A LEGACY OF 

SUSTAINABILITY 

THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL’S REPORT ON ENERGY AND CONSERVATION 

JUNE 2021 

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2 

OVER

 VIE

The Capitol campus is an intricate network of buildings, infrastructure and thousands of people who work in 

or visit the properties managed and maintained by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). The agency develops its 

commitments for sustainability within this same complex matrix of buildings, infrastructure and people. 

The AOC’s practices in the design, construction, maintenance and preservation of our nation’s cultural assets 

W

epitomize sustainable development. We believe that sustainable buildings can be maintained indefnitely and 

represent the potential for signifcant resource conservation. 

The AOC focuses on energy conservation, which saves utility funding, allowing savings to be reinvested into our 

buildings and infrastructure. The AOC has used energy performance contracting and energy savings over the 

past twelve years to fund more than $200 million in building and infrastructure energy improvements. These 

investments have resulted in reduced long-term energy demand and reduced greenhouse gas emissions across 

Capitol Hill. 

Over the last ffteen years the AOC has reduced its energy intensity level by more than 50 percent. As a result of 

these energy savings, the U.S. House of Representatives building-related carbon footprint has been reduced by 

48 percent. The AOC uses Department of Energy (DOE) calculations and tools to validate and track these energy 

intensity and greenhouse gas emission reductions. 

These energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions were made possible because of signifcant 

project funding support and performance contracting approval from numerous groups including the House 

Committee on Appropriations. 

The AOC focuses and carries out its sustainability and energy conservation eforts through three primary 

channels: Buildings and Landscapes, Infrastructure and People. 
BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES • The AOC is responsible for the operation and care of more than 18.4 million square feet of facilities, thousands 

of fne art works including sculptures and paintings, more than 570 acres of grounds and a feet necessary to 

support operations. 

• This responsibility also includes building exterior envelopes, mechanical and electrical systems, digital data, 

interior fnishes and historically signifcant architectural elements, art and library collections. 

INFRASTRUCTURE • One major component of the AOC’s infrastructure is the Capitol Power Plant (CPP) and utility distribution system. 

• The CPP provides steam and chilled water for heating and cooling to over 20 buildings across Capitol Hill, as well 

as the Government Publishing Ofce, Folger Shakespeare Library, Postal Square Building and Union Station. 

• The CPP produces more than 60 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually via its cogeneration system, which 

is equivalent to the electricity consumed by 5,700 homes. 

• Building systems are controlled using a large-scale infrastructure automation network with nearly one million 

individual control points. 

• Water is distributed and collected through miles of water main pipes, irrigation systems and stormwater 

collection systems. 

• The AOC manages additional infrastructure essential to the safe and secure operation of the Capitol campus, 

such as high voltage electrical systems, telecommunication controls, security systems and transportation 

within the Capitol campus. 

PEOPLE • The AOC employs over 2,200 full-time employees, serves 30,000 tenants and welcomes nearly 5 million 

visitors annually. 

• Across Capitol Hill, architects, engineers and technicians design, enhance and maintain new and historic 

structures, spaces and building systems. Employees in various trades such as electricians, mechanics, 

gardeners, masons and carpenters maintain the buildings and infrastructure. 

• The facilities maintained by the AOC are occupied by U.S. senators, representatives, Supreme Court justices 

and thousands of other public servants. 

• The AOC works to positively infuence the behavior of the tenants and visitors with design elements that 

promote environmental responsibility. 

• The AOC works with other congressional stakeholders such as the House Chief Administrative Ofcer (CAO), 

Library of Congress and U.S. Capitol Police to implement energy conservation and waste reduction strategies 

across the Capitol campus. 

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4 

SUCCESS 

Fifteen years ago, with the support and encouragement of Congress, the AOC embarked on an aggressive plan to 

implement sustainable systems and practices across the Capitol campus. As a result, the campus is more efcient 

and resilient. 

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, the AOC was one of a handful of federal agencies — and the only legislative branch agency 

— to successfully meet the fnal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) mandate, reducing 

energy intensity consumption by 30 percent from an FY 2003 baseline. After achieving the EISA 2007 energy 

reduction goal, the AOC established a new goal to reduce energy intensity by 50 percent by FY 2025. 

Through our continued and sustained focus on Buildings and Landscapes, Infrastructure and People the AOC 

has accomplished extraordinary results. The AOC continues to be among federal government leaders with respect 

to energy conservation. 

According to recent DOE data, the AOC outperformed all but three federal agencies with respect to energy intensity 

reductions. By the close of FY 2020, the agency had reduced its energy use intensity by 50.8 percent from FY 2003 

levels. This monumental achievement allowed the AOC to fulfll its 50 percent FY 2025 energy reduction goal fve 

years early. Through ongoing funded eforts, further energy reductions are expected. 

With these impressive energy reductions, the AOC and House of Representatives greenhouse gas emissions have 

been signifcantly reduced. As shown in the fgure below, through FY 2020 the House of Representatives Scope 1 

and 2 building-related greenhouse gas emissions are down 48 percent from the FY 2006 established baseline. 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SCOPE 1 AND 2 GREENHOUSE 

GAS BUILDING EMISSIONS 

 
Water usage in FY 2020 was 28.8 percent below our benchmark FY 2007 levels, exceeding our FY 2020 goal of a 26 

percent reduction. 

Over the same 15-year period, the AOC grew its recycling program tenfold. In FY 2020, the AOC recycled 1,900 tons 

of ofce waste, achieving a 38 percent occupant waste diversion rate. This diversion rate was down from previous 

years, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as more ofce staf worked from home, producing less paper. Paper is the 

largest recycled item by weight. Additionally, as our staf worked to keep the facilities and themselves safe, signifcant 

amounts of personnel protective equipment entered the waste stream. 

As construction projects continued in earnest during the pandemic, the AOC diverted 10,000 tons of construction 

and demolition debris from the landfll, recycling 98 percent of all construction debris generated. The AOC’s Capitol 

Grounds and Arboretum and U.S. Botanic Garden teams have also expanded composting of green waste and reduced 

pesticide applications and chemical-based fertilizers across the Capitol campus. 

Fifteen years ago, water and utility consumption in the AOC’s buildings was unmetered. With funding support from 

the House of Representatives in the late 2000s, the AOC installed 230 building-level meters to track steam, electricity, 

chilled water, potable water and steam condensate. The agency also has export meters at the CPP for steam and 

chilled water. These meters populate an enterprise meter data system, providing real-time consumption metrics to 

energy managers and facility personnel. Instantaneous information allows AOC staf to monitor and quickly adjust 

systems that fall out of tolerance with their established performance metrics. The agency has implemented energy 

and cost saving technologies such as new lighting and occupancy sensors across the Capitol campus. Through 

continued House support of our appropriations requests, the AOC successfully installed a green roof on the U.S. 

Botanic Garden Conservatory and maintains two other green roofs on congressional ofce buildings. The agency has 

adopted new technologies and equipment, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, 

plumbing equipment, computer servers and other machinery that are environmentally friendly. These eforts have 

realized savings through increased efciency, improved occupant comfort, lowered emissions and decreased 

replacement cycles. 

The AOC has integrated pest management (IPM) and planting practices on the grounds and at the U.S. Botanic 

Garden, including certifcation of Bartholdi Park as a sustainable initiatives (SITES) Gold facility. SITES-certifed 

landscapes help reduce water demand, stormwater runof, energy consumption and improve air quality. 

In 2018 the AOC activated the cogeneration turbine at the CPP. Cogeneration uses highly efcient, clean, fuel-burning 

technology, which supplies both steam and chilled water to 23 facilities across the Capitol campus. The cogeneration 

turbine provides two-thirds of the electricity needed annually to operate our chilled water system, which supports air 

conditioning needs across Capitol Hill buildings. This on-site electricity production provides an important resiliency 

capability within the power plant in the event of electrical grid outages. With the completion of the cogeneration 

system, the AOC achieved signifcant energy intensity savings, enabling it to meet the FY 2025 50 percent energy 

reduction target fve years early. As operation of this system continues, it will enable the AOC to continue providing a 

clean and reliable source of chilled water and steam while decreasing unnecessary fuel consumption. 

We are pleased to ofer this report on the AOC’s commitment to energy conservation and sustainability and highlight 

signifcant greenhouse gas reductions and sustainability practices throughout the U.S. House of Representatives. 

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6 

AOC COMMITMENT 

TO ENERGY AND 

SUSTAINABILITY 
BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES 

The Architect of the Capitol operates and maintains more than 18.4 million square feet of facilities and 570 acres of 

grounds. By maintaining an enterprise-wide focus on energy conservation and sustainability, we have helped make all 

of our buildings more efcient and sustainable. The AOC focuses conservation and sustainability eforts on building 

systems throughout our portfolio to positively impact building ventilation, thermal comfort, material selection, 

construction practices and maintenance material usage. During the design, construction and operation of Capitol 

campus facilities, the AOC promotes sustainable practices in our buildings. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

• Exceeded agency goals to achieve a 50 percent energy intensity reduction by FY 2025 and a 35 percent 

greenhouse gas emissions reduction by FY 2021. 

• Provided employee training to address building 

controls operations and maintenance skills gaps in 

support of more comfortable and efcient buildings. 

• Formulated customized building performance plans 

with targets that are reviewed and updated annually 

to support continued energy conservation eforts. 

• Converted major legacy building mechanical systems 

to state-of-the-art, direct digital control systems in 

support of occupancy comfort and energy conservation goals. 

• Implemented four energy savings performance contracts (ESPC), which invested $150 million in building 

upgrades funded entirely through energy savings. 

• Used a building energy performance monitoring program that data mines thousands of devices throughout our facilities for irregular or inefcient operation 

to drive continued performance improvements, which 

save energy. 

• Upgraded light fxtures in the House ofce buildings 

with energy efcient components. Newer LED technologies, dimming, occupancy and daylight harvesting components have provided more than 50 percent 

energy fxture savings in most cases. 

• Implemented the industry-leading sustainability SITES 

initiative to support healthy green spaces on new 

landscaping projects. 

• Certifed green roof installations with the District of 

Columbia to quantify stormwater runof reductions. 

The O’Neill House Ofce Building green roof diverts 

18,000 gallons of stormwater runof per year. Certifcation allows the AOC to cost efectively use these 

savings to comply with stormwater requirements for 

other construction projects. 

• Employed a sustainability scorecard system to highlight and incorporate sustainability best practices for 

all Line Item Construction Program projects. 

• Implemented sustainable planting practices with 

native plants, reduction of annuals and use of perennial plantings to improve landscape health. 

• Applied enhanced IPM practices through careful 

maintenance applications, training and use of 

organic-based pesticides. 

• Received SITES Gold certifcation for Bartholdi Park for 

capturing 100 percent of rainfall and keeping runof 

out of local storm sewers. 

• Continued to maintain over 4,600 trees that provide 

eco-benefts worth $250,000 to the Capitol Hill 

community: 

• 700,000 pounds of CO2 sequestered annually 

• Nearly 8 million gallons of water saved annually 

through interception and avoided runof 

• Over 250,000 kilowatt-hours saved annually 

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CURRENT U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BUILDING INITIATIVES 

BUILDING ENERGY CONSERVATION EFFORTS 

The AOC continues to implement new energy conservation measures throughout the House ofce buildings. During 

the pandemic, the House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction completed signifcant work to make the building lighting systems 

more efcient. As LED lighting technology has progressed and costs have come down, the House Ofce Buildings 

initiated a program to update hallway light fxtures with new LED bulbs. These lighting retrofts produce signifcant 

electricity savings. Hallway lighting has also been dimmed to save energy during low building occupancy periods. The 

newly renovated Rayburn House Ofce Building parking areas have LED lights with integrated occupancy sensors, 

enabling thousands of light fxtures to dim when there is no activity in an area. 

Signifcant work is underway to keep the mechanical systems operating efciently. Steam trap audits are routinely 

conducted to ensure that heating systems operate at maximum efciency; failed steam traps are identifed and 

replaced. As interior ofce areas are renovated, new digitally controlled mechanical devices are installed and connected 

to our building automation systems. The addition of these new devices allows more precise monitoring of these spaces 

for comfort and efciency. 

Through the Cannon House Ofce Building Renewal efort, the building will become one of the most energy efcient 

in the AOC’s portfolio. After renovations are complete, the Cannon Building will consume 56 percent less energy and 

use 30 percent less water. The building exterior landscapes were designed to conserve water and the AOC anticipates 

the building’s post-renovation irrigation water usage will be 50 percent lower. These energy and water savings and the 

reuse of the historic structure provide signifcant carbon emission savings. 

RETRO-COMMISSIONING EFFORTS 

Retro-commissioning is a focused efort to review building mechanical systems and operating parameters to validate 

efcient operation and functionality of equipment. Over time, building energy systems fall out of peak efciency 

ranges. The AOC has used retro-commissioning throughout our energy conservation program to periodically retune 

buildings and bring them back to peak efciency. In FY 2021, we will begin retro-commissioning eforts in the Rayburn 

Building, Longworth House Ofce Building and Capitol Visitor Center. During this retro-commissioning efort, all the 

major building mechanical systems will be reviewed for peak operation. Any issues will be identifed and repaired by 

AOC staf. We expect these eforts to produce additional energy savings and help to ensure conservation strategies are 

operating efectively. 

RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES 

The AOC is partnering with the DOE’s National Renewal Energy Laboratory (NREL) to complete an analysis of potential 

renewable energy opportunities. NREL will use their REoptTM modeling platform, which identifes the combination and 

size of distributed energy technologies and cost-optimal control strategies to minimize the life-cycle cost of energy to 

a site. REoptTM is a techno-economic optimization model that considers a range of value streams for renewable energy 

and energy storage. Based on the available value streams, as well as site characteristics, technology costs, and current 

cost of energy, it determines the optimal dispatch strategy to maximize revenues for a given scenario. This analysis will 

be completed in early 2022 and used to inform future energy reduction and greenhouse gas reduction opportunities. 

Early analysis shows outstanding economic payback for rooftop solar photovoltaic opportunities on Capitol Hill. 

Additional work is underway to fully validate rooftop solar photovoltaic feasibility. 

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INFRASTRUCTURE 

The AOC operates and maintains a vast network of infrastructure assets. Major components include the CPP, steam and 

chilled water distribution system, extensive irrigation systems and a large building automation system network. The 

AOC maintains an extensive sidewalk and road transportation infrastructure system as well as a large critical power 

infrastructure to keep our most critical assets operational. The AOC aims to reduce its energy, greenhouse gas and water 

footprint through a sustained focus on our infrastructure assets across the Capitol campus. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

The agency’s implementation of multiple ESPCs, a Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) and other infrastructure 

investments have saved the AOC more than $200 million over twelve years through cost avoidance and reduced 

the agency’s long-term energy demand. Much of these savings have resulted from signifcant improvements to our 

infrastructure assets. Some of our most impactful accomplishments include: 

•

•

Implemented a UESC and completed the construction 

of a cogeneration system that provides for more efcient production of electricity and steam heat. 

Renewed the CPP Refrigeration Plant, which resulted 

in signifcant efciency and reliability improvements 

for our chilled water system that supports Capitol 

campus building air conditioning systems. 

•

•

Focused on operational improvements to save energy 

by minimizing in-plant losses, making distribution system repairs and conducting steam and chilled water 

system audits to identify savings opportunities. 

Used advanced plant-level energy meter data to 

closely monitor and improve steam and chilled water 

system performance. 

•

•

•

Signifcantly reduced the use of coal as a steam generation fuel source, which has resulted in signifcant 

greenhouse emission reductions. 

Focused on maximizing the use of free-cooling, which 

uses lower outdoor air temperatures to meet yearround cooling demand for spaces like data centers 

and IT closets, to improve CPP efciency and save 

resources. 

Optimized the O’Neill House Ofce Building chiller 

plant to incorporate free-cooling strategies. This plant, 

which serves the O’Neill and Ford Buildings now provides more efcient air conditioning by automatically 

using free-cooling when outside temperatures allow. 

•

•

•

Installed advanced utility meters to support energy 

conservation strategies and created a utility data 

enterprise system that summarizes hundreds of utility 

meters throughout our infrastructure. 

Completed a potable water system assessment for 

buildings and landscapes. This assessment provided 

building-specifc water consumption metrics that 

have been used to identify and resolve areas of abnormally high water consumption. 

Reduced the size of the internal vehicle feet to lower 

the emissions associated with transportation, while 

replacing older vehicles with low-greenhouse gas and 

zero-emissions vehicles. 

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CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES 

UTILITY METERING 

Early investments in utility metering allow continuous monitoring of all major utility systems throughout the AOC’s 

building portfolio. These meters and the corresponding data are used to monitor and improve energy performance. The 

AOC’s House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction is installing and integrating energy submeters to provide more refned energy 

consumption information. These submeters will provide electricity and chilled water usage data at an end-use level 

versus the current building-level information. This increased granularity of utility meter data will allow for more focused 

analysis of consumption and efciency. The new submeters will be integrated into our building automation systems to 

allow monitoring by our building analytics software tool. 

The main steam station in the Longworth Building is being upgraded to provide for a safer and more efcient steam 

system. This project is also installing steam submeters to provide additional steam consumption information. This new 

infrastructure will allow the building to improve steam usage efciency. 

BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM NETWORK EXPANSION 

Numerous older building components are controlled by legacy building operation control systems. These older control 

systems often operate locally at the building equipment level, which does not allow for real-time monitoring via the 

building automation network or optimization through the building analytics system. The AOC has documented all 

of these legacy devices and has begun to retroft the most critical systems to allow real-time control and monitoring 

within our building automation systems. 

CAPITOL POWER PLANT UTILITY MASTER PLAN UPDATE 

The CPP is currently updating its Utility Master Plan with a focus on supporting these long-term goals: 

• Provide energy to Capitol Hill that is safe, reliable and resilient 

• Minimize costs associated with delivering energy to Capitol Hill 

• Provide energy in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner 

This utility master planning efort is being supported by a diverse independent panel of district energy industry subject 

matter experts. The DOE’s NREL is also providing objective project review and feedback. The Utility Master Plan process 

is scheduled to be completed in early 2022. The Utility Master Plan will provide an important road map of projects and 

priorities in support of a reliable, resilient and sustainable utility system infrastructure. 

TRANSPORTATION 

The electric vehicle charging system continues to grow as more staf purchase electric vehicles. As required in 

legislation, 2 U.S.C. §§ 2070-2171a, the costs associated with private vehicle charging are collected and deposited into 

a U.S. Department of Treasury account. The AOC is expanding the charging infrastructure to provide for high-capacity 

charging locations in the Rayburn and Cannon building garages. As with current infrastructure, these new, higher 

capacity charging stations will fully recover costs to comply with legislative requirements. 

In support of growing bicycle commuters, the AOC has installed several bike service stations. These service stations 

ofer a range of bicycle tools and pumps in areas with heavy bicycle usage. Bike storage infrastructure and helpful 

10 
pavement marking have been incorporated into the Rayburn Garage Interior Rehabilitation Project. The House provides 

shower facilities for walkers and cyclists, in addition to the showers located in the CAO House Staf Fitness Center. Bike 

racks are available for more than 200 bicycles inside and outside of the House ofce buildings. 

The AOC is currently conducting a Transportation and Mobility Study for the U.S. Capitol campus. This study will provide 

the foundational documentation for moving the Capitol campus toward an innovative, forward-thinking, transportation 

network that improves safety, security, efciency, sustainability and accessibility across all modes of travel. The study 

will evaluate existing conditions and contemplate the impacts of various options on users, visitors and the surrounding 

neighborhoods and city. When complete, it will serve as one of several inputs to the upcoming Capitol Complex Master 

Plan (CCMP). 

PEOPLE 

The AOC works to positively infuence and promote environmental responsibility. The operation and maintenance 

of the Capitol campus involves a great number of materials that enter and exit the campus, whether they relate to 

construction, daily operations, site maintenance or generated waste. Through education and training the AOC aims to 

empower our staf to maintain and operate the facilities in a sustainable, environmentally conscious manner. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

• Strengthened recycling programs by following best 

standards and practices to maximize waste reduction; 

AOC jurisdictions increased diversion rates and improved communications and engagement in recycling 

programs, especially with vendors and visitors. 

• In FY 2020, the AOC’s House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction recycled 99 percent of the 8,350 tons of construction debris generated. This volume of recycled 

material is the equivalent of 1,350 construction debris 

dumpsters. 

• Created a House sustainability community, which 

meets quarterly to bring together sustainability subject matter experts in the legislative branch to share 

best practices, identify areas for improvement and 

develop solutions. 

• Executed a sustainable cleaning and a vendor-managed inventory contract to provide certifcation 

training for labor/custodial and other trade shops to 

meet Green Seal and Cleaning Industry Management 

standards. The Green Seal program supports a more 

sustainable building environment by adopting green 

cleaning products and standards. 

• Coordinated with the House CAO and food service 

vendor Sodexo on increasing compostableor recycling takeaway containers. This work supports our 

recycling waste diversion and composting goals. 

• Developed a comprehensive scrap metal recycling 

program, which produces revenue that is reinvested 

back into energy conservation and recycling initiatives. 

• Doubled the collection of outdoor recycling materials across Capitol Hill. Annually, 2.1 million bottles 

and cans are recycled from the outdoor recycling 

containers. 

• Instituted sustainable design standards for construction and renovation projects to support healthier indoor air quality and use of recycled content materials. 

• Conducted monthly lessons-learned sessions to share 

best practices with designated energy managers 

across the agency. 

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CURRENT PEOPLE INITIATIVES 

DIGITAL CONTROL TECHNICIAN SKILLS GAP INITIATIVE 

As our building automation system has grown, the AOC has identifed a skills gap of adequately trained technicians 

to maintain and optimize these new digital systems. The AOC is creating a new digital control technician job series 

targeting growth and skill development for entry-level technicians through senior leader mechanics. The program 

also includes a detailed training program to help entry-level technician’s advance through their career ladder. Using 

this targeted training program, the AOC expects to fll much of this critical gap with existing staf members looking for 

technical career advancement opportunities. 

COMPREHENSIVE WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM 

The AOC tracks more than 20 diferent consumable waste streams, or materials consumed by building occupants on a 

daily basis. In an efort to identify more opportunities for improvement, the House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction conducts 

a buildings-wide waste audit every two years. The last waste audit recommended the House Ofce Buildings increase 

its diversion rates by adding a composting program. In April 2021, the House Ofce Buildings joined the Senate and 

U.S. Capitol composting program and will focus on collecting pre-consumer kitchen food waste for composting in the 

Rayburn, Longworth and Cannon building cafeterias. The AOC worked closely with the House CAO to train Sodexo staf 

to ensure adoption of this new program in the food service areas. There are also e-waste collection locations in each 

House ofce building where occupants can recycle old cords, chargers, batteries, printer toners and other personal, 

small electronic devices. Together these initiatives support a robust waste reduction and recycling program within the 

House of Representatives. 

SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING 

In FY 2019, the House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction implemented a sustainable green cleaning supply contract. The 

contract consolidated vendors and provides the necessary green cleaning products needed for all House Ofce 

Buildings jurisdiction cleaning eforts. This ongoing contract provides sustainable or certifed products for use in all 

building cleaning applications, including sustainably sourced paper products and Green Seal and Cleaning Industry 

Management standard-certifed cleaning products. The program includes dilution control and storage systems to 

support improved indoor environmental conditions for all House building occupants and visitors. 

CONSTRUCTION WASTE MANAGEMENT 

All the major construction projects in the House of Representatives contain contract clauses to maximize diversion of 

construction debris from landflls. Minimum standards in these contracts typically call for a 90 percent construction 

debris recycling rate. The majority of the construction debris is collected and sorted of-site for recycling. In FY 2020, the 

House projects recycled 99 percent of the 8,350 tons of construction debris generated through renovation eforts. 

OUTREACH AND INTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS 

The House Ofce Buildings jurisdiction initiated a House sustainability community with partner House agencies, 

including the House CAO, U.S. Capitol Police House Division and the House Sergeant at Arms ofces to collaborate 

on programmatic areas and transition to a more sustainable operation in the House ofce buildings. This partnership 

promotes a holistic approach and provides a platform for AOC staf to collaborate with their counterparts and 

participate in mutually benefcial endeavors, such as the House Wellness event that educates House staf on 

sustainability eforts. 

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FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES 

The AOC is confdent that it has the programs, systems and management in place to support a sustainable 

environment. In positioning itself for success, the AOC will continue investing responsibly and will proactively 

enable the integration of modern eco-friendly technologies. Upcoming initiatives the agency is exploring include, 

but are not limited to the following: 

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION COMPLEXITY COST ($-$$$) 

Eliminate coal infrastructure at the 

Capitol Power Plant   $$

Install a second turbine at the Capitol 

Power Plant (cogeneration)   $$$

Increase House green and pervious 

space by 15 percent   $$

Install electric/thermal/water 

submetering   $$

Employ alternate stormwater capture 

technologies   $$$

Complete interior/exterior lighting 

system upgrades   $$

Ensure comprehensive upgrade to 

complex irrigation systems   $$$

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14 

AOC OF THE 

FUTURE 

Under Mr. Blanton’s leadership, the AOC has begun a focused transformation efort to create the AOC of the future. 

Central to creating the AOC of the future is a sustained focus on several initiatives: Vision 2100, Enterprise Asset 

Management (EAM) and AOC University will play an important role in shaping and infuencing the sustainability, 

energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions goals for the AOC and the House of Representatives. Other 

important initiatives supporting energy conservation and sustainability goals include our reorganization efort and the 

development of a Building Ofcial Program. 

ENTERPRISE ASSET MANAGEMENT AND BUILDING OFFICIAL PROGRAM 

The AOC is embarking on a revision of internal processes and procedures to enable a more transparent 

connection between the work the AOC does managing and operating AOC assets and the value 

delivered to our stakeholders. The AOC is using the ISO 55000 Enterprise Asset Management standard as 

the basis for developing enterprise asset management. The EAM initiative includes a green team focused 

on incorporating energy conservation and sustainability processes into the EAM system. Currently, 

much of our energy conservation, recycling and sustainability performance information is housed within 

diferent systems and programs. Consolidating all these disparate systems under one, overarching EAM 

program will support better decision-making across our entire asset portfolio. 

The AOC has launched a Building Ofcial Program to minimize and manage risk. This program will 

improve our safety and code compliance, to keep our iconic buildings maintained for future generations. 

A formal Building Ofcial Program centralizes building code supervision and ensures that infrastructure 

and construction work being performed at AOC-managed facilities and grounds consistently meet 

established building code standards. This initiative will support energy conservation and sustainability 

goals by ensuring compliance with the AOC energy conservation code used for new construction and 

renovation projects. 
-

-

VISION 2100 

Through the Vision 2100 efort the AOC will engage with congressional stakeholders in helping to map the vision for 

the Capitol campus. Within the Vision 2100 development process, stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide 

feedback related to long-term energy conservation and sustainability goals. Specifc environmental goals developed 

through the Vision 2100 process could include a new commitment to energy conservation, energy generation, 

resiliency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The ongoing CPP Utility Master Plan will provide valuable input to 

this efort, helping to validate the feasibility of any new long-range energy conservation and sustainability goals. With 

the culmination of the Vision 2100 planning efort, the AOC will complete a CCMP update and develop a fve year fscal 

plan. The CCMP and fve year fscal plan will provide an implementation road map of projects necessary to support 

future sustainability, environmental and greenhouse gas emissions goals. 

AOC UNIVERSITY 

Under the AOC University, the AOC will foster individual and organizational learning and knowledge that drives 

business results and supports the AOC in achieving its goals. Transforming employee learning requires stronger 

alignment of training and development oferings with our current and future business needs in addition to 

implementing cross-agency efciencies. The AOC will use the AOC University to train technical staf on energy 

conservation principles in support of conservation and sustainability goals. A recently created customized training 

curriculum for HVAC digital control technicians will help create a group of highly skilled technicians to operate and 

harness the power of our vast campuswide digital control systems. An additional focus area will be to use the AOC 

University to inform our entire staf of AOC sustainability goals and how their actions can help to support achieving 

these goals. 

REORGANIZATION 

The reorganization initiative includes reassigning our high voltage electricians and emergency generator technicians 

to the CPP. Under this new organization, these technicians who support our critical power systems are centralized with 

other critical utility system support staf. Centralizing the critical power function with the existing CPP utility group 

enables the AOC to be more resilient to utility and electrical power issues. 

The AOC is committed to strengthening a culture of sustainability aligned with fscal responsibility. We appreciate 

Congress’ support of our eforts to continue a legacy of resource conservation. We take seriously our commitment to 

improving the well-being of the environment for current and future generations of employees, Members of Congress 

and the millions of visitors who visit the Capitol campus annually. 

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