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Aug 28, 2007 3:38 pm US/Eastern
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N.Y. Announces New Standards For Green Buildings
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ―
Dozens of state construction projects will have to meet new, environmental standards beginning next year, officials announced Tuesday.
The Dormitory Authority, a state agency which provides financing and construction services to public and private universities and nonprofit health care facilities, will require new projects to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards.
Established by the U.S. Green Building Council, the standards are a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of environmentally friendly buildings.
The agency has more than 72 projects that total more than $3.5 billion already in the works, but those projects will not be forced to meet the new standards.
Officials expect to launch a similar number of projects in years to come, which means billions of dollars worth of green construction projects expected to reduce energy use by 32 percent per building.
Fiona Cousins, head of the New York chapter of the council, said there are a number of states and cities that have adopted LEED standards for some of their projects, but none has requirements as wide-ranging as those of the Dormitory Authority.
In order to meet LEED standards, a building must meet a wide range of criteria on water use, air quality, materials used and energy use, she said.
"The idea is not brand new, but that doesn't mean that it's not good," she said. "It's still in the early days for people to adopt green building criteria."
David Brown, head of the agency, doesn't anticipate much resistance to the project.
"I've spoken to Albany and state agencies, and they're all enthusiastic about this," he said. "It's not like we came up with the idea. They've all been pursuing their own green solutions."
Commercial and residential buildings are responsible for 39 percent of energy use in the United States, and use around 15 trillion gallons of water annually, according to the governor's office. Buildings that meet LEED standards can sharply reduce energy use and save tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Speaking at the same news conference, Gov. Eliot Spitzer's wife, Silda, said her husband will propose legislation that would offer direct incentives to homeowners to make their houses more efficient using LEED standards.
The amount of the incentive offered through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority would be based on the size of the home, with a cap of $10,000.
It would help offset what state officials believe is a 5 percent increase in construction costs to make a home more environmentally efficient.
State officials said the details were still being worked out on how many homes at a time would be eligible. The agency expects about 1,000 homeowners would apply for the incentives annually.
"Buildings are part of the problem of climate change, but they can also be part of the solution if they meet a higher standard for environmental sustainability," she said.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)