It seems everyone is abuzz lately about the presidential transition. Who will President-elect Barack Obama pick to serve in his cabinet? Part of the reason for the interest is that the people Obama picks can serve as an early indicator as to which direction his policies will go. How Obama tackles green buildings and energy efficiency is no exception. As we noted this spring during one of the debates, Obama went first to energy efficiency when talking about energy policy. As our recent cover story noted, Obama was also more specific than John McCain about setting energy efficiency targets during the campaign.
Now, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is offering to help. AIA is offering to help develop urban policy, and to help work with the administration to make the White House more energy efficient. Skeptical facility managers working in buildings that are energy hogs may question how much architects are concerned with energy efficiency. It's a not totally unfair question. But don't let it obscure the point that there is going to be a major push for buildings to become more efficient in the next four years. Are you ready?