The Stimulus: Green Building Provisions
Update: For a rundown of green building provisions in the stimulus pacakge, see this post.Love it or hate it, the stimulus package was signed into law yesterday. In the coming months and years, $787 billion is going to be used to support new projects, developments and tax cuts throughout the country. Set aside your exhilaration, worry, excitement or anger over the stimulus package. You should be thinking about one thing now:
How are you going to take advantage of the opportunities presented through the stimulus package?
On March 3, I will be speaking on this very issue in Arlington, Virginia. My friends at Rutherford were kind enough to include me in their symposium: "Trends In Green Building - Effective Strategies for Existing Buildings and the Federal Stimulus Package." Other speakers and their topics include:
Thomas C. Mawson - U.S. Green Building Council
Executive Director, National Capital Region Chapter
2009 LEED Rating System Changes and their Impact on Property Owners and Developers
Richard M. Silberman - Healthy Buildings International, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer
Earning the Ventilation-Related Credits Within LEED-NC
Eric M. Oliver - EMO Energy Solutions
President
Looking for Energy Savings In All The Right Places
Bobby C. Christian - Tangible Software Solutions, Inc.
President
Simplifying Energy – Buy. Use. Manage.
I am very excited to hear the other speakers talk about energy efficiency in both new construction and retrofits. This is a very timely panel and one you should not miss. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to me (chris@greenbuildinglawupdate.com) or Nancy Shipley (703-813-6575 or nancy.shipley@rutherfoord.com).
Over the next few weeks, I am going to focus on the stimulus package and hope to develop my presentation before your very eyes here at Green Building Law Update.
Let's start with the basics today. The following is a list of funding for green building projects included in the stimulus package, according to the Associated Press:
- About $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy, including $5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes; $6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; $11 billion toward a so-called "smart electricity grid" to reduce waste; $6 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects; $6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants; and $4.5 billion make federal buildings more energy efficient; $2 billion in grants for advanced batteries for electric vehicles.
- $4 billion to repair and make more energy efficient public housing projects
- $44.5 billion in aid to local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, with flexibility to use the funds for school modernization and repair
That last entry caused me to do a double take. Money set aside for education was previously touted as funds to modernize schools. The final version appears to have modified the language to allow the funds to be used for teachers and administrators.
Did I forget anything?
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Good stuff! I can't wait to hear a report from the symposium. I wish I could make it, it sounds great.
I wish I lived in DC or NoVa to make it out to your presentation, as the difficulty now is trying to figure out (i) exactly what green programs are out there and (ii) what exactly does the applicable government entity involved mean by "green" strings...best of luck.