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City of Kansas City - Green Building Policy for Municipal Buildings

In March 2011, the City Council of Kansas City adopted a policy that the design, construction, and operation of new facilities of any size and renovations in which the facility affected has at least 5,000 square feet of space must conform to the Gold Rating or higher of the most recent version of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Each contract for applicable projects must contain provisions sufficient to require the designer and constructor to comply with the LEED Gold Standard at a minimum and submit documentation to USGBC

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Local Option - Industrial Facilities and Development Bonds

Under the Utah Industrial Facilities and Development Act, counties, municipalities, and state universities in Utah may issue Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) to promote industrial development and manufacturing facilities. In 2013, Utah extended eligible projects to include energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy systems. Municipalities may issue revenue bonds in order to finance eligible projects. Proceeds from the sale of bonds may be used to pay for or to reimburse the project owner, project user, or a lender for the costs of the project. With the added provision to allow reimbursement to lenders, the issuance of bonds may be used by

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Utah Commercial PACE financing program

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

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Local Option - Real Property Tax Exemption for Green Buildings

In July 2012 New York enacted legislation allowing municipal corporations to exempt green buildings from real property taxes. It is important to note that this law allows but does not require local governments to extend favorable property tax treatment to green buildings. In order for the exemption to apply, the taxing jurisdiction must first adopt this exemption.

In order to qualify for an exemption, the new construction or improvement (does not include routine maintenance or repairs) must commence on or after January 1, 2013; be valued in excess of $10,000; and projects must meet the LEED, Green Globes, American National

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Miami-Dade County - Florida PACE Finance Programs

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

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Los Angeles County - LEED for County Buildings

In January 2007, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted rules to require that all new county buildings greater than 10,000 square feet be LEED Silver certified. All buildings authorized and fully funded on or after February 15, 2007 must achieve the certification. Certain buildings may be exempt from the requirement at the recommendation of the Chief Administrative Officer.

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Los Angeles County - Green Building Program

Note: The Regional Planning Commission is considering amendments to the requirements outlined here. See the website above for the most recent information related to this process.

In November 2008, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a series of ordinances which created the Green Building Program. The ordinances included the Green Building Ordinance (2008-0065), the Drought Tolerant Ordinance (2008-0064), and the Low Impact Development Ordinance (2008-0063). These standards are updated periodically, and apply to new buildings constructed in Los Angeles County. If a reconstruction of a building exceeds 50% of its market value, it is subject to green building

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City of Houston - Property Tax Abatement for Green Commercial Buildings

Note: These guidelines and criteria for tax abatement were readopted by the City Council on May 4th, 2022, and absent further extension they will expire on May 19, 2024.

In September 2009, the City of Houston Tax Abatement Program was enacted (Ordinance No. 2009-858), establishing a partial tax abatement for U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified commercial buildings. The tax abatement was extended most recently in 2022 under ordinance 2022-344.

Program eligibility

Under the program a facility is eligible for tax abatement if it meets the following requirements.
  1. It is a new commercial facility whose
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Anne Arundel County - High Performance Dwelling Property Tax Credit

The state of Maryland permits local governments (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-242) to offer property tax credits for high performance buildings if they choose to do so. In October 2010 Anne Arundel exercised this option by enacting legislation (County Bill 78-10) providing a property tax credit for high performance dwellings built on or after July 1, 2010 that meet or exceed USGBC LEED Silver standards. The credit was amended in 2012 (County Bill 03-12) to add the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) as an eligible green building certification system for the tax credit. The tax credit is available for

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Baltimore County - Property Tax Credit for High Performance Buildings and Homes

The state of Maryland permits local governments (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-242) to offer property tax credits for high performance buildings if they choose to do so. Baltimore County exercised this option in 2006 by creating property tax credits for new and existing multi-family residential (50+ units) and commercial buildings that meet certain high performance building standards. In 2008, the county also adopted a similar provision creating property tax credits for newly constructed high performance homes, and in 2010 added provisions for energy efficiency improvements in existing homes.

The credit is formulated as a percentage (%) reduction in

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