Energy, environment and natural resources

Executive Order 13624: Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency

President: Barack Obama

Set a goal of 40 gigawatts of new combined heat and power capacity by 2020 and directed agencies to remove investment barriers.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13624 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13624 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13624 do?

EO 13624 sought to expand combined heat and power and waste-heat recovery by 40 gigawatts by the end of 2020. It directed Energy, Commerce, EPA and Agriculture to coordinate technical help, finance information, state engagement and regulatory analysis. The dated target is now historical, while DOE and partner programs continue to promote efficient onsite energy and CHP under later policies and funding.

Administration position: The order encouraged investment and technical assistance; it did not require a factory to install CHP or guarantee permits, financing or utility interconnection.
SignedAugust 30, 2012
National goal40 GW additional CHP by end of 2020
LeadEnergy Department with partner agencies

Before and after

Before the order

Low gas prices and technical potential existed, but financing, regulatory and information barriers constrained deployment.

After the order

Agencies coordinated assistance and state engagement around a quantified national expansion goal.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Energy DepartmentProvide technical and market assistanceContinuing through successor programs
EPA Commerce and AgricultureAddress barriers and support deploymentProgram-dependent
States and utilitiesConsider interconnection and investment policiesVoluntary and state-controlled

What happened next

EO 13624 set the 40 GW by 2020 goal.