WASHINGTON, DC-A new report from the US Green Building Council highlights legislative and policy progress made in all 50 states. The report, called “Advancing Green Building Policy in the States: 2011 Victories from Alabama to Wyoming,” is particularly illustrative of the momentum behind sustainable building practices because most of these initiatives were implemented during the struggling economy.
“We have seen a lot of growth at the state level over the past five years,” Jason Hartke, VP of national policy at the USGBC, tells GlobeSt.com. “There have been some years when the growth slowed, but not this past year. We have been tracking more than 400 pieces of legislation, which is a staggering amount of activity in this area, given that most states are trying to grapple with the recovery.”
Issues contained in those pieces of legislation range from energy efficiency finance, investments in high-performance schools and incentives for green homes and manufacturing facilities, as well as new minimum codes. The standard bearers, Hartke says, are those that encourage public buildings to be built to green standards. The most innovative measures, he adds, are those that enter the realm of financing.
For example, a bill in Connecticut established the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, which leverages government dollars to provide financing for clean energy and efficiency projects across the state. Additionally, New York established a revolving loan fund that enables property owners to access financing for retrofits and energy efficiency upgrades and to repay the loan with savings earned on utility bills.
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