The U.S. Green Building Council has released LEED 2012®, the next version of its green building rating system, for a third public comment period that will close on March 20. While a fourth and final public comment period in late Spring is possible, and some ...

I received a number of requests for copies of my presentation of earlier this week that was timed to coincide with the release of the new International Green Construction Code 2012 and in response I decided to publish my prepared remarks. Tomorrow the International Code ...

Building owners and tenants who make expenditures to cause new or renovated commercial buildings to be more energy efficient continue to be eligible for a significant Federal tax deduction, an immediate one time depreciation deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot. A new tool ...

On December 31, 2011, President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2012 fiscal year,H.R. 1540. Congress passes a similar act each year to monitor the budget for the Department of Defense. While many Americans may have been aware that in ...

The most common question asked about green office buildings is whether they have higher rental rates than comparable non green buildings? It may be curious to some that the question is not about whether green office buildings have higher construction costs, but that may be ...

Legislation was introduced on November 1, 2011 before the District of Columbia Council that will allow applicants for a building permit to sign “a binding pledge that within 2 years of receipt of the certificate of occupancy the applicant will fulfill or exceed the current ...

Ronald Reagan famously told us that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Maryland, with more LEED® projects relative to its population than any other state, has accomplished that against a backdrop of ...

I have received a number of requests for copies of my Greenbuild Legal Forum presentation and in response I decided to publish my prepared remarks. It has been suggested that green building law is too important to leave to lawyers and with that in mind, ...