EERE Network News - 4/30/08

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a law on Earth Day that requires all new large building projects in the city to meet green building standards. Touted as the most aggressive green building plan of any big city in the United States, the new law requires any new building with more than 50,000 square feet of floor space or consisting of more than 50 units to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building standard of the U.S. Green Building Council.

In exchange, the city will work with builders to speed up approvals and to remove obstacles in the municipal code for elements of sustainable building design, such as green rooftops, cisterns, and permeable pavement. Builders who go the extra step to pursue LEED Silver certification will benefit from expedited processing of their building applications.