Energy Conservation Plan

Introduction

In compliance with Executive Order RP-49, the Texas Veterans Commission has reviewed and updated the agency's Resource Efficiency Plan. Because the agency is housed in State owned facilities, or in facilities with a lease arrangement which requires the landlord to pay utilities, the agency is unable to calculate the amount of energy used each month. This makes it impossible for the agency to calculate the percentage savings each month; however, the agency is committed to Governor Perry's goal of conservation and implements a plan designed to keep utility consumption to a minimum.

Texas Veterans Commission Facilities

The headquarters of the Texas Veterans Commission is located in the Stephen F. Austin building, a state-owned facility in Austin, Texas. Statewide branch offices of the agency are located in Federal buildings, County Buildings or in privately-leased office buildings. The Texas Veterans Commission is not separately billed, or required to pay, for energy or water usage at any of these facilities. Common areas, such as hallways and bathrooms are shared with other tenants in these buildings and are not subject to control of the agency. Further, because of the nature of the facilities used by the agency, there is no information available that would reflect specific energy or water usage of office space controlled by the agency.

Goals and Strategies

The Texas Veterans Commission seeks to use the energy and water resources of its office facilities as efficiently as possible. To achieve this goal, the agency will:

1. Coordinate energy conservation measures with the Governor's Office, Texas Facilities Commission, State Energy Conservation Office, and tenants sharing office space with the State Securities Board.
2. Reduce lighting in areas where lighting levels exceed those required for the task performed. The Agency will seek the assistance of the Texas Facilities Commission to install occupancy sensors to turn off light in unoccupied areas.
3. Eliminate unnecessary appliances.
4. Close blinds when the solar angle is such that excessive heat is gained through windows.
5. Turn off all office equipment when not in use unless doing so would increase overall energy consumption or diminish the use or life of the equipment.
6. Use Energy Star computer equipment.
7. Encourage employees to car pool and use public transportation whenever possible.
8. Explore telecommuting, variable work hours, and other options which may eliminate unneeded or excessive employee commuting. 

Implementation

The strategies for maximizing efficient use of the energy and water resources in the offices of the agency will be implemented immediately.

The agency does not own vehicles. The agency schedules transportation via rented vehicles to include as many agency personnel as possible in each vehicle.

Reporting

Every quarter, the agency shall submit a report to the Office of the Governor and Legislative Budget Board detailing our efforts in meeting the Energy Conservation Plan goals. All quarterly reports will be posted on the Agency website.

Contact

The contact person for the Texas Veterans Commission is Cruz Montemayor, who may be reached at 512-463-8235.

E-Vets Newsletter Sign-up