A law signed by President Barack Obama late last year lifts limitations on using US Department of Defense funds to pursue LEED Gold and Platinum certifications, CleanTechies report.
This is a big deal, according to the blog, because the National Defense Authorization Act includes $527 billion in base defense spending for the current fiscal year.
The DoD manages more than 500 installations worldwide comprising about 300,000 buildings covering 2.3 billion square feet. It owns more LEED-certified buildings than any other entity.
Also in December, the DoD decided to allow its facilities to use the Green Globes certification program. Previously the DoD’s policy had referenced only the LEED program.
The National Defense Authorization Act, with its $527 billion influx of cash, as well as the Green Globes endorsement will be a boon to the green building industry this year, CleanTechies says.
In October, the US General Services Administration (GSA) recommended the federal government use either the Green Globes or LEED to gauge environmental performance in its construction and renovation projects. The GSA previously required LEED for its own buildings and recommended LEED for other agencies’ buildings.
Photo Credit: LEED Platinum Community Emergency Services Station, US Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District