The FAR Councils are taking their first major steps toward reducing the federal government’s energy usage. The interim rule published on May 26, 2011 [pdf] requires that 95% of all future government acquisitions be “sustainable.” It implements Executive Order 13423 (Jan. 24, 2007) [pdf] and Executive Order 13514 (Oct. 5, 2009) [pdf], which require that federal agencies improve their energy efficiency and leverage their buying power to create a market for sustainable goods and services. The rule changes the FAR in some significant ways, most of which are likely to affect contractors.