Executive Order 13221: Energy Efficient Standby Power Devices
President: George W. Bush
Directed executive agencies buying commercial products with standby-power functions to choose models using no more than one watt when practicable and cost-effective, or otherwise the lowest available standby wattage.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13221 still in effect? Yes. Active; current FAR still implements the one-watt purchasing rule.
What does Executive Order 13221 do?
The order assigned these duties: Executive agencies — Buy qualifying products using no more than one watt in standby, or the lowest practical wattage; Department of Energy — Compile and maintain the covered-product list and wattage recommendations.
Before and after
Before the order
Federal energy-efficiency purchasing policy did not contain this specific government-wide standby-power threshold and product-list process.
After the order
DOE published the preliminary list and testing guidance in December 2001. The FAR Council implemented the order in 2003, Congress later codified a closely matching procurement requirement, and the current FAR continues to cite EO 13221 and apply low-standby-power purchasing procedures.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Executive agencies | Buy qualifying products using no more than one watt in standby, or the lowest practical wattage | For covered purchases |
| Department of Energy | Compile and maintain the covered-product list and wattage recommendations | First preliminary list by December 31, 2001; annual review |
| Defense Department and GSA | Consult with DOE on the product list | During each list review |
| Independent agencies | Consider voluntary compliance | Ongoing |
What happened next
EO 13221 signed.
DOE published its preliminary product list and testing guidance.
The FAR final rule implementing EO 13221 took effect.
The Energy Independence and Security Act codified a similar federal standby-power purchasing requirement.
The current FAR continued to cite the order and its one-watt procedure.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order applies only when the lower-wattage product is life-cycle cost-effective, practicable and does not compromise utility or performance. Statute and the FAR now independently support related procurement duties. Procurement disputes remain governed by the governing acquisition statutes and regulations.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- Energy Department — official order copy (opens in a new tab) Official record
- Current FAR 23.107-3 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →