LEEDing the Way

By Riordan Frost, Policy Associate, March 8, 2011 at 9:00 am

The U.S. Green Building Council has ranked Minnesota #10 in the nation for LEED-certified commercial and institutional buildings per capita. LEED, which stands for stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a highly praised green certification developed by the Green Building Council.

Also on the list, the District of Colombia led the way by a large margin, with over 25 square feet of LEED-certified space per person, followed by Nevada, at nearly 11 square feet. Other states that made the list are spread across the nation, with no region leading overwhelmingly. The USGBC list would have had a very different composition if the criterion was simply the number of LEED-certified buildings, but calculating the space per capita gives a more accurate view of each state's investment. Minnesota came in tenth with 2.77 square feet of LEED-certified space per person.

Minnesota's square footage might have been higher if some cities had sought to certify new buildings. According to the Star Tribune, several cities and counties in Minnesota have declined to seek LEED status due to the costs of certification. These cash-strapped governmental bodies, from Edina to St. Louis Park, are still building green buildings but trying to save money by skipping on LEED. Minneapolis is sticking with LEED, defending it as a means to improve transparency and prove their commitment to energy efficiency and the environment.

Among the notable buildings that helped us reach #10? Target Field, which has LEED Silver rating and the newly renovated Roseville library, which boasts a LEED Gold rating—the second highest rating available.

Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Business Growth  Energy  Minnesota Cities  City Management  Sustainability