Tally of LEED certified buildings puts Seattle ahead of the nation
SEATTLE – The U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization, determined that Seattle has the most high-performance, environmentally-friendly buildings in the country.
Seattle has 41 projects certified by the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) national rating system. LEED covers all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources. Ten of the LEED certified buildings, including City Hall and Central Library, are owned by the City of Seattle.
Besides Seattle, the top five cities with the most LEED certified projects include Portland, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Grand Rapids, MI.
“We’re proud to top this national list of green buildings,” said Mayor Nickels. “With so many cities embracing new energy-efficient technologies, the competition to remain a top LEED city is fierce. We will continue to make Seattle a model for the nation and the world.”
In his State of the City address in February, Mayor Nickels announced an effort to make Seattle America’s Green Building Capital by improving energy efficiency in our commercial and residential buildings by 20 percent. The city will also provide cost-savings for struggling homeowners who will see their heating bills drop as waste is reduced, and create new green collar jobs for those working to make our homes, offices and industry more energy efficient.
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