USGBC Reveals Top 10 States for LEED

WASHINGTON — Illinois ranks first in this year’s list of the Top 10 States for LEED, which was determined by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The USGBC ranked states in terms of square feet of LEED space per state resident. The per-capita list highlights states throughout the country that are making strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation.

“Every story about a green building is a story about people,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC, in a statement. “USGBC’s annual recognition of the Top 10 States for LEED goes beyond gross square feet or number of projects and factors in LEED’s potential in a given state to be part of the daily life of the state’s residents.”

Now in its fifth year, the per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified throughout 2014.

Illinois stayed at the top national position for the second year in a row, with 174 LEED certifications representing 3.31 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident.

There were also two newcomers to the list, Georgia and Arizona, which indicates that 2014 was a year of major growth for LEED in the South and Southwest regions of the country, while continued strong performance of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have helped the mid-Atlantic region remain the epicenter of green building in the U.S.

The USGBC took special notice of Washington, D.C., which is not included on the official list of top states due to its status as a federal territory. D.C. leads the nation with 29.44 square feet of space per resident certified in 2014. Maryland and Virginia finished third and fourth respectively, and both states increased their per capita totals to 2.70 and 2.33 square feet of LEED space per resident in 2014.

The new list also had the highest average (2.34) of per capita space certified per resident per state since 2010, and the second highest average to date. Six of the eight states (Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and Hawaii), which were also on the list in 2013, increased the amount of square feet of space they certified per resident in 2014. Illinois and Colorado are the only two states to make the list every year since 2010.

“This per-capita approach tells a great story about how LEED has become an important benchmark in the transformation of the nation’s built environment. LEED certified buildings and the innovations they have driven contribute substantially to our national economic growth, create jobs and improve the quality of life in the communities where they are found. We commend the business and community leaders, policy makers and green building professionals in each of these states for making the commitment to create a healthier, more sustainable future,” Fedrizzi said.

Below are the top 10 states:

1. Illinois
2. Colorado
3. Maryland
4. Virginia
5. Massachusetts
6. Hawaii
7. California
8. Georgia
9. Minnesota
10. Arizona and New York (tied)