In contrast to rhetoric from the government to reduce residential and commercial energy expenditures, government energy spending is projected to go up dramatically.

In fiscal year 2010, the government is projected to spend $28.8 billion on energy consumption, up a staggering 36 percent from the $21.2 billion spent in 2009. The figures encompass energy used in buildings and operations to vehicles to fuel and resources used by the military, among other elements.

The main cause for the increase is war spending, according to the “Federal Energy Domain” report (registration required) from FedSources, which is a Washington Management Group company.

In all, the U.S. Federal government spends about $58.6 billion a year on energy contracts.

From fuel consumed by its vehicle fleets to energy used to run government facilities, the federal government uses about 1.5 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. every year.

The report cites the Capitol Power Plant, which runs government offices in Washington, D.C., as particularly costly. The coal-fired plant costs over $130 million a year to run.

In 2010, the government will spend $25.6 billion on energy production, up 32 percent from the $19.4 billion spent in 2009 and the $12.1 billion spent in 2008.

In 2010, the government will spend $4.2 billion on energy management, up from $2.6 billion in 2009 and $600 million in 2008.