The Metro Council last night approved on second of three readings, a bill requiring all new Metro buildings to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED certification. The bill has been deferred several times over concerns from the Mayor’s office about cost issues and the penalties for buildings not meeting the certification.
Sponsor Erik Cole says green buildings cost 2 to 3-percent more up front in construction costs.
“But then you start to see after two or three years a savings that can be ten or fifteen percent on your energy bills or different factors of savings that are built into the new buildings you’re building. So if you put those together you’re actually going to see a long term savings. Now in Metro, we look at building costs and maintenance costs separately, so it will require us to think a little differently about how we account for money.”
Contractors won’t receive building permits until the U-S Green Building Council approves that a building will be built according to LEED standards. The bill also now has a sunset date of five years so the city can come back and evaluate the effectiveness of the certification before renewing it.
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