In an effort to spur green legislative initiatives across the country, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released "Advancing Green Building Policy in the States: 2011 Victories from Alabama to Wyoming."
Roger Platt, USGBC's senior vice president of global policy and law, said the report is "a goldmine of creative approaches to driving a green economy where super efficient buildings become the norm rather than the exception." Often, these buildings incorporate green forest products, including wood flooring.
Legislative highlights include:
- Maryland enabled the adoption of a national model green building code by all local governments across the state.
- Colorado provided incentives for homeowners to improve both the energy efficiency of their existing home and also to purchase a "highly efficient new home," such as one that is LEED certified.
- California enacted the nation's first statewide mandatory green building code, dubbed CALGreen, On Jan. 1.
- Connecticut established the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority to authorize private capital for clean energy projects.
- Nevada enacted legislation that rewards manufacturing facilities that build to and beyond LEED Silver significant one-year tax abatements.
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