HR 6078: GREEN (Green Resources for Energy-Efficient Neighborhoods)

I’ll have to take a longer look at the bill, but it seems to replicate or perhaps enhance the energy efficient mortgage and Fannie transit proximity bonus programs that are already extant. When I spoke with folks at HUD at last year’s Greening Affordable Housing conference, they said the EEM program was not very effective. I think the various building technology programs at HUD and DOE probably achieve most of what a ‘sustainable building institute’ would accomplish.

Press release as article.

LEED 2009 Follows MS Windows model of customer choice

Gleefully embracing the idea that if one LEED rating system is good then 9 LEED systems must be whatever is more impressive than gaping mouthed awe. It’s unclear if this is an effort to make the process look more rigorous or ‘attentive’ to special building types, but all those studying for or re-upping for AP designation will need to get some more flashcards.

In fairness, LEED 2009 (aka LEED v3) will incorporate some baseline concepts common to all 9 (!) systems as well as more coherent and achievable goals. Most interestingly is the notion of regionalization as defined by regional councils of USGBC.

Nevertheless, what sounds most intriguing is the concept of an Alternate Compliance Path using lifecycle assessments to award points in the Materials and Resource section. This program is discussed in greater detail at NTHP’s “Preservation Nation”, but everything is still in hush-hush draft mode and not yet ready for public comment.

You can read more about these initial efforts at an earlier Preservation Nation post, “A Report from the Greenbuild Conference in Chicago – Part 2”

Governments Are Urged to Build Greener – washingtonpost.com

Governments Are Urged to Build Greener – washingtonpost.com: The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments called for a new wave of ‘green building’ across the region yesterday, recommending that local governments build structures according to environmentally friendly standards and that they push private developers to do the same.The council’s recommendations, approved during a board meeting yesterday, are not binding for the 21 local governments on the council. But council officials said they hope that laws will change soon and that the Washington area’s next wave of develop”Which explains why San Francisco’s new green initiative is a… potentially costly error.

“The city’s Office of Economic Analysis has issued a report concluding that the city guidelines would significantly reduce greenhouse gases over time. But it also found that the higher costs of constructing environmentally sustainable buildings would translate to higher housing prices and commercial rents, slow construction rates and possibly discourage businesses from locating and expanding in the city.The report also analyzed a possible alternative: charging local businesses a tax based on energy use that results in greenhouse gas emissions. The Office of Economic Analysis concluded such a program could reduce pollution without affecting the city’s economy.” Report here.