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Trump Election Can Make Green Building Great Again

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Energy, Environmental, Federal, Green Building, IgCC, LEED
Election day 2016 in which Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States and Republicans control both houses of Congress portends huge business opportunities for green building. As the Executive and Legislative Branches look to arrest existing environmental and energy policies while driving up growth and lowering taxes, enabling voluntary green building … Continue Reading

The Ramifications of this IgCC Enactment are of National Import

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Green Building, IgCC, Local Government
Update. On November 15, 2016, the Montgomery County Council adopted Resolution 18-669, voting to extend time until June 30, 2017 for Council action on Executive Regulation 21-15, Adoption of the 2012 International Green Construction Code (IGCC). A Planning, Housing & Economic Development Committee work session will be scheduled at a later date. On September 28, … Continue Reading

Organic on the FTC Agenda

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Environmental, Federal, LEED, Sustainability
The word “organic” as it relates to non-agricultural products is the topic of the October 20, 2016, roundtable sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is a big deal. The roundtable will explore interpretations of organic claims for products that fall outside the scope of the USDA’s National Organic … Continue Reading

Cannabis Cultivation has Growing Environmental Implications

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, Sustainability
Cannabis cultivation is not new, but beginning in the 1990s when states began to legalize medical marijuana and recently as state laws evolved, decriminalizing and legalizing recreational use of cannabis, the burgeoning industry has brought with it environmental implications, including of water and energy use. Energy consumption for cannabis cultivation can be incredibly significant and … Continue Reading

PACE Bill Due in Baltimore City

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in City, Energy, Green Building, Sustainability
A public hearing is scheduled tomorrow on a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loan program ordinance in Baltimore City. I have been quoted saying that PACE “could be bigger than anything in U.S. real estate since the invention of the glass window.” PACE loan programs, where payments for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy … Continue Reading

New Federal Floodplain Regulations Rewrite 100 Year Floodplain

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Environmental, Federal, Sustainability
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is proposing to rewrite the longstanding 100 year floodplain standard for federally funded projects such that most building would now have to be 2 feet freeboard. In the name of resilience, reliability and green this proposed regulation will result in significant additional first costs for affected building. FEMA is … Continue Reading

Vancouver Leaving LEED for Zero Emission Building Mandate, But ..

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in City, Energy, Green Building, LEED
On July 13, 2016, the Vancouver City Council approved a Zero Emissions Building Plan that is among the most aggressive by any government with the stated purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While much of the media attention has described that Vancouver is the first major city in North America to establish specific actions to achieve … Continue Reading

Is California Going to Ban Cows in the Name of Climate Change?

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Environmental, State, Sustainability
The California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board has issued a “Proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy” that includes the penultimate statement, California’s dairy and livestock industries account for roughly half of the State’s total methane emissions and about five percent of the State’s overall GHG emissions. About half of the emissions from the State’s … Continue Reading

Historic Church Appeals to Higher Authority in Solar Dispute

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Energy, Environmental, Local Government, Sustainability
The First Parish in Bedford, Unitarian Universalist church has appealed from a decision of the Historic District Commission of the Town of Bedford that denied First Parish’s application for a certificate of appropriateness to install solar panels on its Meetinghouse roof. The complaint filed Superior Court for the County of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts claims … Continue Reading

HUD Jumpstarts PACE Financing for Homes

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Federal, Green Building, Local Government, State, Sustainability
Last week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs released new guidance, changing their previous positions, now widely allowing residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. With the guidance, PACE financing, where payments for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy improvements to real estate are made through … Continue Reading

Miami Beach’s New Green Building Tax

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Green Building, LEED, Local Government, Sustainability
Some years ago an ordinance enacted by the City of Miami Beach received accolades across the globe when it protected endangered sea turtles that nest on the beaches of Miami Beach, by “restricting artificial lighting and other activities that disorient turtle hatchlings, causing them to crawl toward land rather than toward the ocean.” However, a … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Decision is Good for Green Globes

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Environmental, Federal, Green Building, Green Globes, Sustainability
The recent unanimous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Kingdomware Technologies, Inc. v. United States, is a win for small businesses and very good for those that work on Green Globes projects. In an effort to encourage small businesses, Congress has mandated that federal agencies restrict competition for some federal contracts.  The Small Business … Continue Reading

You Need to Review a SITES Scorecard, Now

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Environmental, Federal, Green Building, LEED, Sustainability
SITES is a sustainable landscape rating system. SITES is modeled after the LEED green building rating system. And while it is a standalone tool for measuring landscape sustainability, in June 2015, Green Business Certification Inc., the USGBC associated certification body for LEED, announced it had acquired the exclusive rights to the SITES rating system, its … Continue Reading

Federal Government Proposes Greenhouse Gas Disclosures from Certain Vendors

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Federal, Sustainability
The Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation which will require select government vendors, from landlords to defense contractors, to indicate if and where they publicly disclose greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, the Obama Administration announced a new target to reduce Federal … Continue Reading

Maryland Vetoes Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Increase

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, State, Sustainability
Maryland Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., vetoed an increase in the State’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard that would have resulted in higher electricity prices across the State. This push back against an ever increasing legislatively mandated subsidized renewable energy ‘market’ portends a national trend. Specifically, Governor Hogan announced he was vetoing House Bill 1106 – … Continue Reading

Solar Panels Mandated for Muscle Beach and ..

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in City, Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Green Building
This coming Wednesday the City of Santa Monica will begin mandating the installation of a solar electric photovoltaic system on all new building. Santa Monica joins the California cities of Lancaster and Sebastopol which started requiring rooftop solar installations in 2013, and San Francisco which similar law, for building under 10 stories tall, takes effect … Continue Reading

Sustainable Agriculture Standard Announced

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Sustainability
Recent foodborne illness outbreaks at Chipotle despite use of ingredients that are “organic, responsibly raised meats, pasture raised dairy,” and “non GMO” have left consumers looking for better and other standards for agricultural products. Almost on cue (despite being in the works for more than 4 years), Leonardo Academy has announced that its LEO 4000 … Continue Reading

More Robust Enforcement of SEC Climate Change Disclosures

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Sustainability
A great deal of attention has been paid in recent days to a 5 year old Securities and Exchange Commission guidance, “Commission Guidance Regarding Disclosure Related to Climate Change,” which seeks to provide transparency to investors on the material risks posed by climate change. Recently The Los Angeles Times reported Exxon Mobil is under investigation … Continue Reading

TSCA on the Cusp of being Overhauled by Congress

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, LEED, Sustainability
LEED Materials and Resources credits
The federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was enacted in 1976 to protect the environment and the public’s health against risks posed by chemicals in materials in commerce. Forty years later, there is general agreement that TSCA has not kept pace with the marketplace and Congress is on the cusp of overhauling the law and … Continue Reading

City of Rockville Implementing the IgCC

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Green Building, IgCC, LEED
The City of Rockville, Maryland has adopted the International Green Construction Code 2012 as mandatory for all commercial and multi family building. But what may be most telling about this enactment is that before the change in law the USGBC listed Rockville as having more LEED projects than any U.S. city with a population below … Continue Reading

PACE Programs are Stepping Up the Pace

By Stuart Kaplow on Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Green Building, Sustainability
Property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs, where payments for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy improvements to commercial real estate are made through a building owner’s property tax bill are beginning to hit their stride. PACE state enabling statutes generally authorize local governments to work with private sector lenders to provide upfront low interest … Continue Reading
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