Obama forces gov't emissions cuts amid lingering uncertainty over national limits

President Barack Obama on Friday morning ordered federal agencies to sharply cut their greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade even as Democratic efforts to impose nationwide limits face big hurdles on Capitol Hill.

Obama said the federal government will reduce its overall emissions by 28 percent by 2020. The pledge stems from an executive order issued in October that requires federal agencies to undertake a range of pollution-reduction and energy-efficiency measures.

The White House noted that the federal government is the largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, and that the emissions curbs announced Friday will help save up to $11 billion in energy costs through 2020. The curbs will be tantamount to taking 17 million cars off the road for a year, the White House said.

The curbs allow the White House to show progress on climate change even as legislation to impose nationwide emissions curbs remains an uncertain bet in 2010.

“As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” Obama said in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution and shift federal energy expenses away from oil and toward local, clean energy.”

A White House Council on Environmental Quality official previewed the action last week. The government-wide target rolls together the goals of 35 federal agencies that pledged various cuts under last year’s executive order.

Agencies will reach the targets with actions such as increased use of hybrid vehicles for their fleets and the use of more renewable energy, such as solar power, the White House said.

The White House also vowed that progress toward the goal will be reported online annually.