Today, the U.S. Green Building Council released its national ranking of the top states in the country for LEED green building and Colorado is the second state in the nation for 2016. The annual list highlights states throughout the country that made significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation over the past year.
In 2016, Colorado moved from fifth to second place with a total of 92 LEED certified-projects representing 3.17 gross square feet of certified space per resident.
“Colorado has been a phenomenal trailblazer in green building and LEED certifications and is leading the way toward a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC. “The success of LEED could not happen without support from states likes Colorado that believe in being environmentally and socially responsible and have committed to transforming the built environment. With each new LEED certification, we are lowering carbon emissions, creating a healthier environment, driving economic growth and prioritizing sustainable practices that will positively impact the way residents, communities and cities live, work and play.”
Now in its seventh year, the ranking assesses the total square feet of LEED-certified space per resident based on U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects certified during 2016. And according USGBC’s 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study, LEED construction is projected to support 103,000 total jobs in Colorado and have a total impact on GDP of $9.05 billion from 2015-2018.
“All across Colorado, school districts, communities and businesses seek ways to demonstrate and measure progress towards achieving ambitious sustainability goals,” said Patti Mason, director of community, USGBC Colorado. “LEED certification continues to be a proven strategy for ensuring these goals are not just discussed but delivered by the project team, and an indication of environmental leadership across the state.”
The full ranking is as follows:
|
2016 Top 10 State for LEED |
||||
|
Rank |
State |
Certified Gross Square Footage (GSF) |
Per-capita Certified GSF |
Total No. Projects |
|
1 |
MA* |
24,398,765 |
3.73 |
136 |
|
2 |
CO* |
15,921,457 |
3.17 |
92 |
|
3 |
IL* |
36,188,485 |
2.82 |
151 |
|
4 |
NY |
48,405,204 |
2.5 |
211 |
|
5 |
CA* |
88,891,641 |
2.39 |
632 |
|
6 |
NV* |
6,397,602 |
2.37 |
22 |
|
7 |
MD* |
13,426,623 |
2.33 |
104 |
|
8 |
VA* |
18,444,309 |
2.31 |
155 |
|
9 |
WA* |
15,103,478 |
2.25 |
105 |
|
10 |
TX* |
41,942,393 |
1.67 |
211 |
|
** |
DC |
17,476,447 |
29.04 |
120 |
*Included in 2015 Top 10 States for LEED list
**Washington, D.C. is not ranked as it is a federal district, not a state
