House staffers might soon have to keep moving to keep the lights on in their offices. But in exchange, they might get help paying for riding Metro.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders have told House Chief Administrative Officer Dan Beard to look at ways to “Green up” House operations.

“The Capitol complex should lead the nation in preserving our planet for future generations,” Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.) said Friday in their letter to Beard.

The letter directed him to “undertake a green the Capitol” initiative to address energy conservation, efficiency and cost savings for the U.S. Capitol and congressional office buildings.

They ordered a preliminary report by the end of April with final recommendations by June 30.

Beard said he agreed with the directive and stressed that the idea of “green” buildings is not an updated version of recycling dryer lint, but the cutting edge of business efficiency.

“I was talking to Wal-Mart and they’re into this in a big way, using skylights and lights that dim in daylight,” Beard said. “It saves them money. It’s a normal way of doing business.”

Beard said he plans to break his task down into three parts: buildings, processes and people.

Buildings mean looking at ideas, such as using compact fluorescent light bulbs and motion sensors that turn the lights off when no one is around.

Processes means looking at the House paint shop, upholstery shop and other operations and “doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint.”

People means looking at how recycling is working and looking for ways to maximize use of transit benefits for staffers, he said.

The leadership letter said officials should “ensure that the House institutes the most up-to-date industry and government standards for green building and green operating procedures.”

Beard said there have already been conservation efforts, such as a conservation program in the office of the Architect of the Capitol, but Friday’s directive makes it clear that Pelosi is making conservation a priority.

“It’s one thing to tell others they need to think about the environment,” Beard said. “But we need to get our house in order, as well.”