WASHINGTON — The U.S. federal government, with thousands of facilities and vehicles in locations across the U.S. and abroad, is one of the largest energy consumers in the world, but its consumption is declining. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), total delivered-to-site energy use by the federal government fell to 0.96 quadrillion Btu in fiscal year (FY) 2013, the lowest recorded since 1975.

These years are the most recent and the earliest, respectively, for which data are available. In fiscal year 2013, vehicles and equipment energy use accounted for 62 percent of all federal energy consumed with the remainder consumed by federal facilities. Energy consumed in federal government facilities has generally been declining over the past four decades.

The reduction stems from both the total square footage occupied by the federal government, which continues to fall from its peak in fiscal year 1987, and from the energy consumed per square foot inside federal buildings, which has been declining since fiscal year 1975.