Greater Energy Efficiency Can Be Achieved Through Land Use Management
EMD-82-1
Published: Dec 21, 1981. Publicly Released: Dec 21, 1981.
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Highlights
Today's energy situation is prompting a growing interest in planning, designing, and building communities that are energy-efficient. This includes: (1) minimizing the amount of energy needed to heat and cool buildings; (2) reducing energy intensive infrastructure construction, such as highways and sewer and water lines; and (3) reducing automobile travel.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance should, if they wish to provide a maximum incentive, clarify proposed legislation to provide that components which serve a dual purpose of being a structural and passive solar system component are eligible for the tax credit. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
This recommendation pertains to proposed legislation on which no action was taken by the 97th Congress. |
| The House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance should, if they wish to provide a maximum incentive, clarify proposed legislation to provide that components which serve a dual purpose of being a structural and passive solar system component are eligible for the tax credit. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
This recommendation pertains to proposed legislation on which no action was taken by the 97th Congress. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should, when evaluating and analyzing funding priorities for long-term research and development programs for fiscal year 1983, determine what, if any, supporting efforts should be undertaken to address the feasibility, advantages, and barriers of applying energy-efficient land use concepts in communities. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Since the fiscal year 1983 budget proposes further reductions in conservation activities and does not suggest supporting efforts for energy efficient land use, this recommendation is no longer valid.
|
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should determine the extent, if any, to which it needs to emphasize the importance of areawide planning to State and local governments in increasing energy efficiency through the land use decisionmaking process. |
Closed – Implemented
GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, should provide guidance and assistance to Federal agencies on how energy considerations can be included in programs that affect land use. This guidance can be given through existing mechanisms such as Executive Order 12185 and the Interagency Coordination Council. |
Closed – Not Implemented
This recommendation is inconsistent with the administration's position on Federal involvement in energy conservation activities.
|
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of Energy, in consultation and cooperation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, should provide guidance and assistance to Federal agencies on how energy considerations can be included in programs that affect land use. This guidance can be given through existing mechanisms such as Executive Order 12185 and the Interagency Coordination Council. |
Closed – Not Implemented
This recommendation is inconsistent with the administration's position on Federal involvement in energy conservation activities.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should work with the secondary mortgage market to help it develop criteria for primary lenders to use in assessing the energy cost impact of energy-efficient land use concepts and explore additional means of providing incentives for using these concepts. |
Closed – Not Implemented
This recommendation is inconsistent with the administration's position on Federal involvement in energy conservation activities. The administration's position is that the implementation of this activity would be more appropriate in the private sector.
|
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Topics
Budget cutsCommunity development programsEnergy conservation in buildingsIntergovernmental relationsLand managementLand useMortgage programsPlanningResearch and developmentSolar energyTax credit