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Green Building and Energy Reduction Standards for State Agencies

Requirements

With the passage of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5509 – Related to High Performance Green Building, State facilities in Washington must be designed and built to the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards. The bill has been transferred into statute at RCW 39.35.D

All new major facility project construction and renovation projects over 5,000 sq. ft., where the renovation costs exceed 50%, as defined in RCW 39.94.020, must be designed, constructed, and certified to at least the LEED Silver standard.

The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) was given

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Green Building Standards for State Facilities

In November 2009, Rhode Island enacted the Green Building Act (S.B. 232), this act was updated in June, 2022. The updated law requires that public building construction projects 10,000 square feet or larger and public building renovation projects 10,000 square feet or larger achieve constructed to at least the LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES certification, or equivalent, such as High Performance Schools Standards, Green Globes Certification, or the International Green Construction Code.* This requirement applies to all public buildings, including school district construction and renovations that receive state funding for such projects, that had not entered the design

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High Performance Schools Policy

In July 2002, New Jersey’s governor signed Executive Order No. 24 requiring all new school designs to incorporate LEED Version 2.0 guidelines in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in school facilities.

The Executive Order also requires that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority establish a subsidiary corporation, The New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC), to be responsible for the school facilities project and the state’s compliance with the new order. The SCC was subsequently replaced by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) in 2007. The SDA mandates that all projects must incorporate the guidelines developed

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Nevada State Energy Reduction Plan

As mandated by the Nevada statutes, the Nevada Energy Office prepared a state energy reduction plan which required state agencies, departments, and other entities in the Executive Branch to reduce grid-based energy purchases for state-owned buildings by 20% by 2015. The report suggests a series of immediate, short-term and long-term conservation measures to help the affected agencies meet their energy reduction goals. 

Senate Bill 395 of 2009 instructs the Chief of the Purchasing Division of the Department of Administration to establish standards that favor Energy Star products. The bill also puts the State Public Works Board in charge of adopting

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Clean Energy Development Fund

Vermont's Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) was established in 2005 to promote the development and deployment of cost-effective and environmentally sustainable electric power and thermal resources -- primarily renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP) technologies.

Funding Sources

From its establishment to 2012, the CEDF was supported via annual payments from Entergy (which owns the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant). In return, under terms of two memoranda of understanding between Entergy and the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) that expired in March 2012, Entergy was permitted to store its own spent nuclear fuel at the Vermont Yankee site

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Energy Efficiency in State Buildings

Recent Measures (2020)

On September 23, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Directive 2020-10 which increased the requirements of emissions and energy use reductions in Michigan state-owned buildings. As per this directive, The Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB) must investigate the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency opportunities when planning or renovating a building owned or operated by the state. DTMB must ensure that:

  • All new buildings and facilities owned and operated by the State, and all major renovations of such buildings and facilities, are carbon neutral by 2040; and
  • All existing buildings and facilities owned and operated by
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Energy Conservation in State Buildings

2023 Update:

On May 17th, 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed executive order 01.01.2023.07 doubling Maryland's energy conservation goal for state-owned buildings from a 10% decrease by 2029 to a 20% decrease by 2031. The EO also requires the Maryland Green Building Council to update the High-Performance Green Building Program to ensure that all new buildings and major renovations align with the state's goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

These standards apply to new buildings or major renovation projects that are:

  • Funded solely with State funds and are of 7,500-gross square feet or larger or are community college
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Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Corporate)

In South Carolina, taxpayers may claim a credit of 25% of the costs of purchasing and installing a solar energy system, small hydropower system, or a geothermal system for heating water, space heating, air cooling, energy-efficient daylighting, heat reclamation, energy-efficient demand response, or the generation of electricity in a building owned by the taxpayer. Effective July 1, 2009, SB 1141 expanded the scope of this credit to include small hydropower systems. Only hydropower systems installed after July 1, 2009 are eligible for the tax credit. HB 3874 of 2016 expanded the scope again to include geothermal energy projects.

The maximum

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Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Personal)

In South Carolina, taxpayers may claim a credit of 25% of the costs of purchasing and installing a solar energy system, small hydropower system, or a geothermal system for heating water, space heating, air cooling, energy-efficient daylighting, heat reclamation, energy-efficient demand response, or the generation of electricity in a building owned by the taxpayer. Effective July 1, 2009, SB 1141 expanded the scope of this credit to include small hydropower systems. Only hydropower systems installed after July 1, 2009 are eligible for the tax credit. HB 3874 of 2016 expanded the scope again to include geothermal energy projects.

The maximum

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Energy-Efficient Building Standards for State Facilities

In November of 2019, Governor Mills signed Executive Order 13, which requires state agencies to develop and implement a sustainability plan to meet or exceed the states renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction timelines and targets. It further requires the procurement of environmentally preferable products and services, encourage practices that lead to less wasteful workplaces and account for climate change projections when designing or siting new facilities or projects. The full text of the executive order can be found here.

Maine Statutes Title 5, Section 1764-A also requires that plans and designs for the construction of new or substantially renovated

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