The Biden Administration Signs the First-Ever 24/7 Carbon-Free

Energy Agreement for the U.S. Government

The Biden administration announced today that it has signed its first-ever agreement to source 100% carbon-free energy (CFE) 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) through a partnership between the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the subsidiary of integrated energy company Entergy Arkansas.

The announcement follows a December executive order signed by President Biden outlining a series of goals and initiatives for the U.S. federal government to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, including a mandate to power all federal facilities with carbon-free electricity by 2030, including 50 percent of the time around the clock.

According to the GSA, the new MoU signed with Entergy will help federal agencies in Arkansas meet the objectives of the executive order, and it is anticipated that the agreement will provide the utility's private and public sector customers with a cost-competitive and reliable option for CFE to match their electricity consumption throughout the day.

GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said:

This MOU highlights how the federal government is collaborating on measures to increase demand for carbon-free electricity – when and where it is needed.

Under the terms of the MOU, the GSA and Entergy Arkansas will collaborate on a plan to ensure that all Federal Government electricity customers of the utility use electricity that is 100% attributable to renewable and CFE resources – meaning it is delivered to the same grid region as the consuming facilities – with at least 50% hourly matching of CFE to the consumers' electricity needs 24/7. The deal contemplates the utilisation of Entergy's existing CFE power generation, including nuclear, in addition to the development and acquisition of new renewable and other CFE resources.

The agreement also stipulates that the CFE for customers of the other utility will not decrease as a result of the initiative.

Chief sustainability officer for the federal government at the White House, Andrew Mayock, stated:

"The MOU signed today demonstrates how innovative, customer-centric clean energy may help Federal agencies in Arkansas reach the clean energy goals of President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan in a cost-effective manner. By combining existing nuclear power output with new carbon-free renewable resources, this strategy contributes to the achievement of net-zero emissions while keeping consumer costs low.