Dive Brief:

• The Obama administration has announced the expansion and launch of new programs to boost energy efficiency in U.S. buildings. 
• The Departments of Energy and Housing and Urban Development has expanded the president's Better Buildings Challenge to multifamily housing and is launching the Better Buildings Accelerator to support state- and local government-led efforts.
• The Obama administration also wants federal agencies to expand the use of performance-based contracts through 2016 to upgrade energy efficiency at federal buildings at no cost to taxpayers.

Dive Insight:

This is part of President Obama's mission to achieve a clean, sustainable and efficient U.S. energy future. The president’s Better Buildings Challenge has attracted $2 billion in private financing for energy efficiency updates to commercial buildings thus far. The challenge was started to encourage commercial and industrial buildings become at least 20% more energy efficient by 2020.