Virginia Localities Advance Green Building Policies
Virginia localities are making efforts to adopt or update the state’s high-performance building design and construction standards, while referencing LEED in its policies as a measuring stick for green building achievement. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) outlines a few examples of Virginia cities and counties progressing toward a healthier, more sustainable built environment through policy in a recent article.
According to USGBC, The City of Fairfax is developing a green building policy for public and private new construction and major renovations. The draft policy would require eligible public buildings to achieve LEED Gold certification and comply with the federal zero-emissions building definition, as well as require eligible private buildings to achieve LEED Silver certification or equivalent. Tax incentives are available for private building projects pursuing certification at a higher level.
USGBC has supported the development of this policy by serving on the green building policy advisory committee, sharing public comment opportunities with our local community and attending stakeholder meetings. The policy is expected to go to the city council in early 2025.