According to a report in the Wall Street Journal Online, those states and others are requiring or urging government buildings to follow Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program guidelines developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The federal government’s General Services Administration also applies the program to its new buildings.
LEED buildings are characterized by their use of environmentally preferable products and ones that improve the energy performance of buildings. Using low- or no-flow toilets and urinals, flooring made of natural materials and on-site power systems with few or no emissions are just a few of the types of systems LEED buildings use.
In April, Washington lawmakers passed a law requiring state agencies to use LEED in most circumstances. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order requiring LEED in December, and Michigan’s governor signed a similar directive in April. Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are a few of the cities that require LEED guidelines to be followed when building government buildings.
Since LEED was launched in 2000, more than 200 buildings have been certified and 1,800 more have signed up.
Maryland fell short of adopting LEED this spring. The Legislature did, however, pass a bill that encourages builders to follow LEED guidelines.
