State Buildings to Go Green

Photo by FLICKR/shannonforag/3406575181/ Senator Chap Petersen (D) represents Virginia’s 34th State Senate district, which includes Fairfax City and much of Fairfax County. He is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

Richmond, Virginia – Sen. Chap Petersen’s (D-Fairfax) Green Public Buildings Act, Senate Bill 109, was unanimously passed by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.

The Green Public Buildings Act requires all new construction of state buildings greater than 5,000 gross square feet in size to adhere to LEED or Green Globes standards.  This also applies to new renovations of state buildings where the cost of reconstruction exceeds 50 percent of the building’s value.

According to Petersen, the purpose of the bill is to significantly reduce utility usage, preserve the environment and save taxpayer
dollars.

The full Senate will vote on SB 109, which is endorsed by conservation groups such as Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, within the next week.