The Greater Washington Green Jobs Corps trains workers in the green sector to meet the labor shortage necessary to weatherize millions of homes, businesses and federal buildings resulting in millions of dollars in energy savings.

The U.S. can create 2 million jobs over two years by investing in a rapid green economic recovery program, according to “Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy,” a report prepared by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst under commission by the Center for American Progress.

As a part of this administration's commitment to a clean energy future, President Obama has pledged to make 75% of federal buildings more energy efficient. Experts say the investment could create up to 130,000 jobs, save the government more than $1 billion in annual energy costs and improve worker productivity.

To lower those costs and emissions, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007 to reduce federal buildings' energy consumption by 30% by 2015. Experts say the stimulus plan could help the government make major strides toward that goal.

The U.S. General Services Administration is an under-the-radar government agency that owns or leases more than 352 million square feet of space in 8,600 federal buildings in 2,200 cities and towns. Among other responsibilities, the agency is tasked with cutting costs and emissions in the buildings it controls. The stimulus bill provides GSA with $4.5 billion for energy efficiency.

That could help trim the enormous $6.5 billion in energy costs the government spent on its buildings in 2007. And it would cut back on pollution - federal buildings account for nearly 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Department of Energy.

GSA said many retrofits will be cheap and fast, as energy efficiency improvements can be as simple as placing thicker insulation, installing LED lights, replacing windows and installing water-saving toilets.

The agency also said it is identifying a number of bigger projects that can be quickly deployed in federal buildings, including installation of solar panels on roofs, installing high-tech energy meters and smart lighting systems that adjust to daylight.

One example of the 500 ready-to-go projects is the Internal Revenue Service building in Andover, Mass. The building has a structure and location that make it a good candidate for solar roof panels, which GSA said will reduce heating and cooling loads and provide electricity for the building.

2. Protecting pipes from corrosion and freezing.

3. Installing footing drains, foundation waterproofing membranes, interior perimeter drains, sump pump, gutters, downspout extensions, downward-sloping grading, French drains, swales, and other techniques to protect a building from both surface water and ground water.

4. Providing proper ventilation to unconditioned spaces to protect a building from the effects of condensation.

5. Installing roofing, building wrap, siding, flashing, skylights or solar tubes and making sure they are in good condition on an existing building.

6. Installing insulation in walls, floors, and ceilings, around ducts and pipes, around water heaters, and near the foundation and sill.

7. Installing storm doors and storm windows.

8. Replacing old drafty doors with tightly sealing, foam-core doors.

9. Replacing older windows with low-energy, double-glazed windows.