Ameresco Commends Executive Order on Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade

Executive Order 13693 reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to energy savings performance contracting, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

FRAMINGHAM, MA and WASHINGTON, DC – April 13, 2015 – Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today that the company commends Executive Order 13693—Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, as it bolsters support of long-term opportunities to serve the Federal Government through energy savings performance contracting and other contracting mechanisms for energy efficiency and renewable energy through 2025.

“This Executive Order promotes the use of Federal energy savings performance contracts, as an important tool to support the government’s energy efficiency and management goals,” said George P. Sakellaris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ameresco. “It also provides long-term requirements for Federal agencies to reduce their energy intensity, increase their use of renewable energy and conserve their water use. Ameresco commends these important initiatives.”

Executive Order (EO) 13693, signed by the President on March 19, includes various energy and sustainability requirements for agencies and departments within the Federal Government. According to the White House, the EO is designed to support the reduction of the Government’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2025.  The EO directs Federal agencies to increase the amount of renewable electric energy from 10 percent in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 to 30 percent by fiscal year 2025.

The EO also requires agencies to “implement performance contracts for Federal buildings” by utilizing performance contracting “as an important tool to help meet identified energy efficiency and management goals while deploying life-cycle cost-effective energy efficiency and clean energy technology and water conservation measures.” It also reaffirms the President’s commitment to performance contracting by requiring Federal agencies to fulfill existing agency commitments toward the President’s goal of $4 Billion in Federal Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) by the end of calendar year 2016. Agencies also will be required to provide annual targets for performance contracting to be implemented in fiscal year 2017 and annually thereafter.

EO 13693 also supports an ongoing commitment to energy efficiency within Federal buildings by requiring agencies to reduce their energy intensity by 2.5 percent annually between years 2015 and 2025. This provides continuity to existing requirements that are scheduled to expire this year. In addition, Agencies will be required to reduce potable water consumption by 36 percent by fiscal year 2025.

“The Federal government continues to lead by example in adopting policies and requirements that promote energy conservation and renewable energy,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Vice President and General Manager of Federal Solutions of Ameresco. “These new requirements will help to support long-term sustainability opportunities. Public-private partnerships like ESPCs offer budget-neutral solutions that support these types of energy savings initiatives.”

Ameresco specializes in several Federal contracting mechanisms for energy efficiency and renewable energy, including ESPCs, UESCs and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Ameresco currently holds indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts for ESPCs with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Last year, Ameresco was awarded a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) to develop solar, biomass, and wind for Department of Defense installations. The MATOC is a contract vehicle which allows the Army and other military services to procure renewable energy through PPAs with qualified contractors.

About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.