[As part of the evolution of Green Building Law Update, I like to try out new post topics and formats. Today I am beginning a new feature at Green Building Law Update: “Sensible Interview.” Please let me know what you think.] Back in December, Kimberly Miller of Sensible City provided me with a press pass … Continue Reading
I hope you survived the dramatic cliffhanger from Monday. Now, time to answer the question, how do Virginia cities and counties regulate green building if they cannot adopt a building code? Such a dramatic pause for such a mundane answer: zoning ordinances. The Virginia code specifically delegates to the municipalities the right to create zoning … Continue Reading
This past weekend, I spent a lot of time preparing a slideshow for the William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review Symposium, "It’s Not Easy Being Green." As you may recall, I will be presenting on green building regulations in Virginia. Guess what we are going to discuss on Green Building Law Update this … Continue Reading
Today, we bring you a first on Green Building Law Update: my first radio interview. Vik Duggal, over at Konstructr, was kind enough to invite me to be a guest on his KCast interview series. Konstructr is basically Facebook for the construction industry. Some of the topics we discuss include green building attorneys, President Obama’s proposed economic recovery package, … Continue Reading
Back in October of 2008, in the midst of the economic turmoil, Green Building Law Update wrote that governments should reconsider requiring green building certification for projects. With the deepening economic recession, some governments are now supporting green building projects while specifically not requiring certification. A recent New York Times article highlighted green building developments … Continue Reading
Back in the summer of 2008, Green Building Law Update was nothing more than a pipe dream. During that summer, Brian Maxted, a William and Mary Law student and summer intern at my firm, was relegated to hearing about my crazy green building law ideas. Brian just happened to be on the William and Mary … Continue Reading
I like categories. I like to categorize ideas, issues and thoughts in order to develop my understanding. The same is true for green building law; I like to think of this emerging practice in terms of categories. The other day I was asked "what is green building law?" by an environmental attorney. I had never … Continue Reading
One of Green Building Law Update’s favorite topics in 2008 was the Shaw Development v. Southern Builders case. You may recall that the Shaw Development v. Southern Builders complaint was one of the first examples of green building litigation, which resulted from a project’s failure to obtain green building tax incentives. After recently research the … Continue Reading
If you are reading this blog, you are likely well-versed in social media or have at least heard of Twitter.* Through Twitter (follow me here), I have had some amazing conversations about green building and the law and I would like to share one of them with you that really highlights how quickly a green … Continue Reading
"Green" was the buzz word in 2008. In 2009, Green Building Law Update predicts that green buzz words will become more nuanced and the focus will be on "energy efficiency," "retrofits," and "existing buildings." I don’t mind making this prediction because it is not much of a stretch. There are three factors that will contribute … Continue Reading
Update: For a rundown of green building provisions in the stimulus pacakge, see this post. On Monday, we highlighted some green building strategies that might be incorporated in the Obama Administration’s proposed stimulus program. The Alliance to Save Energy, Edison Electric Institute, Energy Future Coalition and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently published a … Continue Reading
Update: For a rundown of green building provisions in the stimulus pacakge, see this post. Over the weekend, news broke that the massive economic stimulus package will not be ready for President-Elect Barack Obama to sign on day one. As you may recall, President-Elect Obama had previously indicated that the stimulus package would include support … Continue Reading
On Wednesday, we highlighted the Bush Administration’s recent decision to order the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to not adopt regulations that would have improved energy efficiency in all federal buildings. This decision is in stark contrast to the political platform and green building policies being pushed by President-Elect Obama. If you may recall, … Continue Reading
