Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP
With some of the country’s priciest land and deep-pocketed building owners, the District of Columbia remains far and away number one on USGBC’s 2012 list of the top 10 states for LEED project certifications. The per-capita list factors 2010 U.S. Census data and commercial and institutional buildings certified under the LEED green building rating system.
The District of Columbia logged 36.97 sq. ft. of LEED space certified per resident last year, followed by Virginia (#3 in 2011) and Colorado (#2 in 2011), with 3.71 sq. ft. and 2.1 sq. ft., respectively. Other top 2012 states in the ranking are Massachusetts, which moved up three positions from 2011, with 2.05 sq. ft. per person, followed by Illinois and Maryland, with 1.94 sq. ft. and 1.90 sq. ft., respectively.
Reflecting an ongoing trend of certification by project type, the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system accounted for 53 percent of total square footage certified in these states, compared to 32 percent certified under LEED for New Construction.