The North Carolina Senate passed an amended version of House Bill 628 on June 17 that retains the option of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for State construction projects. The modified bill responded to the outcry from North Carolina architects, engineers, and product manufacturers that LEED is good for NC businesses. The new language finds common ground to support all North Carolina building materials – including forest products – and the growing North Carolina green building industry by maintaining LEED as an important option for state buildings to save energy, water and money.
“We are happy the Senate aligned with North Carolina’s growing green building industry and in support of saving taxpayer dollars through healthy, high-performing construction,”
The amended version of the bill recognizes the positive economic impact to North Carolina that LEED provides by promoting regionally produced and manufactured building materials. The title of the bill was changed from “Protect/Promote North Carolina Lumber” to “Protect/Promote Locally Sourced Building Materials”. Revisions to the bill’s text reflect this broadening of scope and do not give preference to any single type of building material.
A late addition to the bill included a 10-year cost-recovery requirement for all capital projects. While such paybacks are certainly feasible by North Carolina’s advanced green building industry, this provision will leave taxpayer savings on the table by precluding deeper, longer-term investments in government buildings that will be around for 50-100 years. Similar short-sightedness is being applied to the proposed repeal of the North Carolina Energy Code in House Bill 201. USGBC North Carolina continues to be a strong advocate for the code, a reflection of today’s widespread expectation for energy efficiency in all buildings.
LEED has proven to be an effective instrument for saving energy, water and money in the buildings where we live, learn and work. To find out more about the use of LEED on public projects, see this policy brief: LEED in the Public Sector Here. To contact the USGBC North Carolina Chapter, call 704-996-5877 or email Chapter@usgbcnc.org. Read More.