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Legislation Requiring Green State Buildings OK'd By House Committee
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Rep. Kate Harper's (R-Montgomery) House Bill 193 (Harper-R-Montgomery) to promote the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings in the Commonwealth has earned the approval of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
House Bill 193 requires the design, construction and renovation of state-owned or leased buildings receiving state funding to be done using high-performance standards.
Click Here to watch Rep. Harper's comments online.
"The government facilities we build today will be here for decades to come, and they should be designed for long-term efficiency and performance," Rep. Harper said "Investing in high-performance buildings can be part of the legacy we pass on to future generations."
Specifically, the bill requires high-performance construction standards to be applied where:
-- A state-owned new building construction project is larger than 10,000 gross square feet.
-- A new construction project is larger than 10,000 square feet and a Commonwealth agency has agreed to lease no less than 90 percent of the gross square feet.
The bill requires a minimum set of criteria for the high-performance buildings standards to be used to ensure compliance. These would include being consensus-based, employing third-party post construction review and verification, and having a track record of certified green buildings in the United States. Additionally, projects would have to achieve a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program rating of 85 or above.
"This is an opportunity for government to lead by example and represents an important investment in our Commonwealth's future," Rep. Harper added.
The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
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12/12/2011 |
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