GSA Official: Embrace Our Mistakes

The General Services Administration, which among other jobs manages federal buildings, is trying to eliminate the government's environmental footprint by doing things like facilitating green building projects and promoting telepresence.

But they want to do even more. Speaking Tuesday at the GOVgreen conference and expo in Washington, GSA's Commissioner of Public Buildings, Robert Peck, said the agency is still experimenting, trying to figure out what works and what doesn't.

"We've had some issues," he said, such as when GSA would see a return on its investment in green technology. He said the agency would like to see a return in 10-15 years, unlike private companies, which typically want ROI within five to six years.

But cultural issues are even bigger hurdles, Peck said. The agency's overseers on Capitol Hill and members of the news media are constantly launching efforts "aimed at making sure we don't make mistakes." The fact that what agency officials do could land them in front of a congressional hearing sometimes causes them to hold back.

What's the solution? To "get America to embrace that we can make mistakes," Peck said.