Senate passes bill that retains LEED certification

The N.C. Senate on Monday approved a bill that retains Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for state construction projects.
The bill is an amended version of House Bill 628 that would have scrapped the most popular form of sustainable building certification. It now will go back to the House for concurrence.
Conservation groups, builders and the concrete and steel industries began rallying against the House version after realizing that the proposal would have prevented public projects, such as libraries and city halls, from seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credits to attain LEED certification. This is a voluntary rating system that awards points based on a long list of energy-efficiency and sustainable building standards.
The timber industry spearheaded the House bill because it feared losing bids on lucrative government projects. Many state lumber producers currently cannot meet LEED’s environmental standards for certification. The Senate version allows state projects to use rating systems that give credits for local building materials, including wood, concrete and steel, but only if using the products would save money on operating costs.