This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

March 13, 2013

FEMP Issues Guide for Large Renewable Energy Projects at Federal Facilities

The Energy Department's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) on March 11 issued a new resource that provides best practices and other helpful guidance for federal agencies developing large-scale renewable energy projects. The Large-Scale Renewable Energy Guide: Developing Renewable Energy Projects Larger than 10 MWs at Federal Facilities provides a comprehensive framework, including active project management strategies, common terms, and principles that promote partnerships among the federal government, private developers, and financiers. Improving coordination on large-scale renewable energy projects will help ensure successful projects while diversifying the U.S. energy supply, creating jobs, and advancing national goals for energy security.

Renewable energy at federal facilities represents a large clean energy resource for the United States. Federal energy policies, requirements, and goals require the development of nearly 3 gigawatts of renewable power projects over the next decade.

Federal project managers who use the guide to design and develop their projects will learn best practices for private-sector financing across a variety of funding options and competitive acquisition processes. The guide will also help commercial developers better understand federal energy planning and acquisition processes. The guide was developed by FEMP and the Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with contribution and assistance provided by the U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Task Force. See the Energy Department's Progress Alert, the complete FEMP report , and the FEMP website.