Through the release of an executive order, energy reform and emission reduction has gained a significant spotlight around the country. President Obama’s latest EO may have been received with little fanfare in the populist media, but is likely to have a very significant effect on overall energy use in the United States.

Pres. Obama has received some criticism for not being more vocal in his support for climate change, for not recognizing that the USA must take a lead in environmental issues. After signing his latest executive order, energy change advocates granted him some credibility for at least taking a step to curb the carbon emissions of the country’s largest polluter, the federal government.

Obama’s predecessor, President Bush, was far from one of the most staunch advocates of climate change and energy restrictions in general. His own executive order on the subject only brushed over the concept of carbon reductions.

Within the details of Obama’s executive order, energy use must be analyzed at the federal level by a comprehensive process of determination. The agencies have been instructed to develop a 10 year plan and determine their own levels of reduction, as indicated by a percentage figure. This will require each agency to devise a system and once approved to ensure that it is initiated.

The details of the executive order, energy reduction concepts and overall reporting requirements pose a significant challenge for agency chiefs. The size of the federal carbon footprint has never been determined before, yet now each agency has to determine the size of its own greenhouse gas inventories.

As the largest consumer of energy in the country, the federal government must take the lead when it comes to reducing greenhouse gases. Due to to the sheer size of the government and its many employees, there is bound to be an additional effect as these measures become widely interpreted and adopted by suppliers and communities.

As indicated by the executive order, agency officials must work with each other to try and establish best practices. The federal government may not be known for its ultimate efficiency and as it will now be necessary to analyze the output of each individual asset, solutions must be sought to assist in the gathering and interpretation of this data.

Copenhagen will be the setting for a gathering of world leaders as a new international climate change protocol is debated. With legislation stalled in the U.S. Congress, Pres. Obama’s new administration and his latest executive order will be closely scrutinized as their stance on overall environmental protection is judged.

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