US public bodies wishing to access the $16.8 billion allocated to the US Department of Energy in the Economic Stimulus Bill brought in by President Barack Obama will need to comply with energy efficient requirements as least as strict as the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007.

State governors will be required to work toward implementation of a building energy code at least as stringent as Standard 90.1-2007 and to develop a plan for achieving 90 percent compliance with the code, including provisions for training and enforcement programs.

"For more than 30 years, Standard 90.1 has been one of the building industry's most important benchmarks for energy efficiency,"says ASHRAE President Bill Harrison. "Its inclusion in the economic stimulus package demonstrates not only its importance in the building industry, but the importance and economic potential of saving energy and promoting energy-efficient technologies."

The stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, focuses on economic stimulus through both tax credits and public-sector spending, with a heavy focus on infrastructure and energy.

The Department of Energy is authorized to provide grants up to 30% of the cost of installation of items such as fuel cells, solar, small wind, geothermal heatpumps, and combined heat and power systems.

Federal agencies are receiving considerable funds for retrofitting and upgrading existing facilities to meet federal energy and water use requirements and alleviate any maintenance backlogs.