New York Mandates Green Standards for State Buildings

Posted

New York Governor David Paterson has signed an amended version of the green building construction bill passed by state lawmaker last year that requires that state-owned buildings be developed or renovated in accordance with sustainability practices, reports CoStar Realty Information. The State Green Building Construction Act goes into effect in mid-2010.

The new law gives the state's Office of General Services (OGS) the authority to develop and implement green building standards for new and renovated state buildings, reports Spaced Out.

OGS Commissioner John Egan said in the article that the new law will enable further collaboration with state agencies to construct green buildings that lower energy costs, improve air quality, reduce waste and curb greenhouse gases.

According to CoStar Realty, OGS already oversees energy efficiency and voluntary LEED certification initiatives for the state's facilities. The sustainable construction guidelines that the agency is drafting are expected to be similar to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standard, reports CoStar.

OGS now has 31 designers who are LEED-accredited professionals, and earned a LEED-EB (existing building) gold status for the Governor's Albany mansion in February.

Environment + Energy Leader