The number of LEED certified federal building projects in the United States has increased by more than 50 percent from 2011 to 2012, Andy Medici writes in Federal Times.
What’s the reason behind the jump in federal buildings that are LEED certified or seeking certification? According to Lane Burt, USGBC director for technical policy, federal agencies are more educated in sustainable building practices and are making sustainable techniques a standard part of their projects.
Although the increased adoption of green building standards as general standards is a positive move, Medici points out the recent backlash from industry groups and lobbyists that want to jettison LEED. Because of complaints by groups like the PVC pipe manufacturers and the wood industry, the GSA (General Services Administration) and the Energy Department are evaluating whether to continue following LEED or move to other green standards.
The Energy Department has avoided picking one certification standard so far. In 2010, it proposed a rule that would allow agencies to use any third-party standard that met Energy Department criteria.
Number of federal LEED-certified projects surges [Federal Times]
