According to the councils 50-state report, "Advancing Green Building Policy in the States: 2011 Victories from Alabama to Wyoming," hundreds of state legislatures and regulations were initiated in the country this year, reflecting the states targets to transform the market for green building despite economy challenges.
"This report is a goldmine of creative approaches to driving a green economy where super efficient buildings become the norm rather than the exception," said Roger Platt, senior vice president of global policy and law at the U.S.G.B.C.
"Given the publics demand that government do more with less, well-targeted investments at the state level can actually inspire innovation, unlock efficiency and promote public health, all while creating and maintaining jobs," added Mr. Platt.
The state policies covered energy efficiency finance, investments in high-performance schools, incentives for green homes and manufacturing facilities, and new minimum codes.
The council highlighted the policy achievements by Oregon, Connecticut, Colorado, New York, and Maryland.
A "cool schools" bill, House Bill 2960, was adopted in Oregon, allowing the state to repair and retrofit aging schools to reduce operational costs and create jobs. This bill is expected to improve human and environmental health in the buildings, particularly as 20 percent of Americans spend their time in school buildings.
A bill in Connecticut, Public Act 11-80, established the U.S. first state-managed green bank, called the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. The bank leverages government dollars to provide financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the state.
A new law was established in Colorado that provides incentives for homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their existing homes. The law also allows homeowners to purchase highly-efficient new homes, such as one that is certified by the council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.
In New York, Assembly Bill 8510 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.
A Maryland act, Chapter 369 of the states Public Safety Code, now enables the adoption of a national model green building code by all local governments across the state.
In addition, legislation and regulation in Alaska, California, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin facilitated the advancement of improved mandatory minimums through building codes.
Housing-related energy efficiency policies were initiated in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont.
These states entertained legislation that would advance building energy rating and disclosure. Legislation on this is seen as a means for improving access to and availability of information, so that consumers can make smart choices about energy efficiency in real estate transactions.
In Florida and Virginia, decisions were made to tie state-administered incentives for low-income housing to criteria that include green building ratings. The development is expected to spur an increase in affordable green housing.
Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, and Nevada succeeded in navigating budget debates and found support for investing in green buildings.
The council notes that although a lot of green building bills die compared to the number that get enacted, bills that do not advance should not be considered losses. These green building bills still go far to move the ball forward for the green building conversation, said the council.
source: APEC-VC Korea
저작권자 © Korea IT Times 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
