[Green Building Law Update is achieving another first: our first guest post! Christopher G. Hill is a Virginia construction attorney and recently started a legal blog, Construction Law Musings. I first met Chris through Twitter and I appreciate his willingness to discuss green building legal issues.] By: Christopher G. Hill Lately terms such as LEED … Continue Reading
I met Elaine Lipman Barnes through Twitter (elbarneshouse). Soon I learned that she manages a billion dollar green schools program in Ohio. Since green schools are an emerging industry, I thought Elaine would be perfect for a Sensible Interview. She didn’t disappoint. Enjoy! — Chris: Can you tell me about the green building program you manage? Elaine: … Continue Reading
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the William and Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review symposium "It’s Not Easy Building Green." The students did a fantastic job and the audience was large and engaged. In particular, Mark Pike organized an interactive web 2.0 experience for the symposium that was quite impressive. Many … Continue Reading
[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
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
"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
As we head towards the finish line of 2008, we turn our eyes towards 2009 and what lies ahead for green building. The next two posts at Green Building Law Update will highlight the shift in political support for green building policies that will soon occur. In order to understand the shift, we must start … Continue Reading
As we all settle in for the Holidays, I want to extend a thank you to all of my readers. Green Building Law Update has far exceeded my expectations in just a few short months. None of this could have happened without all of you reading my blog, subscribing to my blog and telling other … Continue Reading
Green Building Law Update’s review of reasons to build green has somehow become a top 5 list. Here’s a recap of the first four reasons: 1. Increased opportunity to obtain financing 2. Build to the state of art 3. Distinguish your project from traditional construction 4. Your customer is demanding green Rounding out the top … Continue Reading
While I was at GreenBuild, I became motivated to think about reasons to build green despite the slumping economy. While Green Building Law Update has been critical of some green building trends and focused on the potential risks associated with this type of construction, there are many reasons to undertake green building projects now. Green Building … Continue Reading
In two previous posts prior to Greenbuild, Green Building Law Update focused on reasons to build green in the slumping economy. Continuing that theme, here’s another example of how green buildings help parties distinguish their projects as demand for new construction decreases: “LEED for Existing Building helps owners compete in tough market” You may know … Continue Reading
For Thanksgiving, I returned to my original home, Kansas, fully expecting to take a break from green building. Turns out, green building was waiting for me in Kansas as well. On the Saturday evening following Thanksgiving, I attended my high school reunion. Just like any other reunion, my classmates and I discussed our jobs and … Continue Reading
Thanks to all of the Green Building Law Update readers that attended Rutherfoord’s symposium, “Green Building: Opportunity or Legal Quagmire.” I went to bed last night without a voice, but thankfully, the laryngitis let up and we were able to discuss green building litigation issues. If you are interested in having me speak on green building … Continue Reading
Continuing our posts from GreenBuild, our next two posts will discuss two very different green building regulatory enforcement mechanisms from two very different cities. The first city, Portland, has created a very innovative enforcement mechanism to enforce its stringent green building regulations. Portland is very similar to other cities in that they will require specific … Continue Reading
One of the most significant announcements coming out of GreenBuild was the unveiling of the revamped LEED Accredited Professional (AP) program. Or should I say, programs? There will now be four levels of LEED accreditation: (1) LEED Green Associate (2) LEED Accredited Professional (3) LEED AP Fellow; and (4) Legacy LEED AP Additionally, a … Continue Reading
While at GreenBuild, I had the pleasure of listening to Jeff Harris of the Alliance to Save Energy speak about the Presidential Climate Action Project. Two of the points raised by Jeff really got me thinking and I want to share these ideas with you. During his presentation, Jeff stated that the U.S. government is … Continue Reading
In previous posts, Green Building Law Update pointed to anecdotal evidence that financing difficulties were affecting the green building industry. While there may be specific examples of green building difficulties, the bigger picture does not look as dire. According to a recent article, the green building industry is “staying afloat” despite the tight financing market. … Continue Reading
In anticipation of GreenBuild, Green Building Law Update is going to step back and ask: what is the state of green building? These are definitely interesting times for the green building industry. On the one hand, as I have highlighted, green building projects may have to be shelved due to the tight lending market. But … Continue Reading
As you may know, this week is the United States Green Building Council’s national event, GreenBuild, in Boston: USGBC’s Greenbuild conference and expo is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders as they share insights on the green building movement and its diverse specialties. This year’s theme … Continue Reading
