U.S. Green Building Council Announces Texas is
10th State in the Nation for LEED Green Building in 2016
Washington, D.C. — (Jan 25, 2017) — Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its national ranking of the top states in the country for LEED green building and Texas is the 10th 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. With a total of 211 LEED certified projects representing 1.67 square feet of certified space per resident, Texas is leading the charge in the green building movement in the United States.
“Texas 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 Texas 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.”
According to USGBC’s 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study, LEED construction is expected to support 244,000 jobs and impact GDP by $21.39 billion from 2015- 2018 in Texas.
“Our ranking in the Top 10 States for LEED shows the continued success of the green building market in Texas,” said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of USGBC – Texas Chapter. “Companies and business owners across the state have embraced LEED and green building practices in all sectors from a fiscally — as well as socially — responsible perspective, and are realizing the benefits of LEED on both their occupants and facilities. We’ve made a great start and look forward to continuing our work creating prosperous sustainable built environment that improves life for all Texans."
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. 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
A few notable projects that certified in Texas in 2016 include:
- Skanska West Memorial Place Phase I in Houston; LEED Platinum
- Bank of America Plaza 901 Main in Dallas; LEED Gold
- Baylor Medical Waxahachie; LEED Silver
Collectively, 1,819 commercial and institutional projects achieved LEED certification within the Top 10 States for LEED in 2016, representing 309.12 gross square feet of real estate. Across the United States, 3,366 projects were certified in 2016, representing 470.39 million square feet.
The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. More than 59,000 commercial, neighborhood and residential projects are currently LEED certified, comprising more than 6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 164 countries and territories globally.
