LEED Training
Green Building Education and Training

Obama's Green Building Stimulus: Synonymous with LEED

Following on the heels of Congress’ Energy Independence and Security Act, which was signed into law in December 2007, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, aka the stimulus bill, has allocated approximately $5.5 billion to the U.S. General Services Administration (“GSA”) for green building projects and another $300 million to invest in fuel-efficient vehicles.

This is excellent news for the sustainable/green-building industry as the GSA has a standing environmental policy which is to eliminate all damage to the environment resulting from its operations. Furthermore, the GSA’s goal is to achieve this while providing superior workplaces for a million federal employees across the United States. Through its Sustainable Design and Energy programs, the GSA is committed to incorporating principles of sustainable design and energy efficiency into all of its building projects.
The 2007 Act called for energy efficiency and the availability of renewable energy in federal buildings, indeed, the GSA requires that all GSA new construction projects and substantial renovations must be certified through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Projects are encouraged to exceed basic LEED green building certification, by achieving LEED Silver Certification. LEED consists of a set of prerequisites and credits with specific requirements for obtaining points in order to become a certified green building.

For green building educators and sustainability consultants, contractors and green building materials providers, the stimulus package represents an enormous opportunity to ramp up business. Specifically, the stimulus calls for $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings to high-performance green buildings, $750 million to renovate and construct federal buildings and courthouses and $300 million to renovate and construct land ports of entry.

Comments

Obama's economic recovery plan will work

Wed, 02/25/2009 - 00:05 — Mia (not verified)

The Obama Administration's economic recovery plan will create new green jobs. Whats more, there is tremendous potential for jobs to become long-term additions to the U.S. economy with the increased importance and size of the green building and sustainability industries. In terms of green building specifically, our existing buildings are the huge challenge and President Obama has committed to retrofit 75 percent of all federal buildings. Let's all support the plan and work to find ways to contribute to a congruent solution. Naysayers, just get out of the way.

Certainly in New York City,

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 03:01 — Timm (not verified)

Certainly in New York City, his face is on shirts at street stalls and wholesale retailers everywhere. Yesterday, on Union Square in Manhattan, I saw a shirt for sale that said "Obama is the New Black", nothing to say about tones of literature about Obama and the ebook I'm currently reading - http://www.ebook-search-queen.com/ebook/BARA/BARACK+OBAMA+A+CHAMPION+FOR... More than a political figure, he seems to have become a fashion statement.

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