Public Buildings Policy

The following page depicts state-level policies for public buildings across the United States. Click on a state below to read information about policies and find links to additional information.

Alaska

Law or Policy
2011 Alaska Building Energy Efficiency Standard – 2006 IECC and ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2004, and Alaska-specific amendments to both

Information
The standard applies to all public buildings that were constructed on or after March 9, 2011 and funded wholly or in part by AHFC programs or other state funds. All public facilities must be designed to comply with the thermal and lighting energy standards adopted by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

Source: DOE

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Arizona

Law or Policy
Executive Order 2005-01 – effective 02/11/2005

Information
Applies to all new state-funded buildings constructed after February 11, 2005. State-funded buildings must achieve at least a Silver LEED green building rating as well as meet the energy standards of ASHRAE 90.1-2004.

In 2008, Executive Order 2008-29 reaffirmed a similar order from 2005. It requires all new state-funded buildings to achieve at least a LEED Silver rating. Also, the Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Administration and the Arizona School Facilities Board must submit annual reports to the Governor and to the Department of Administration summarizing: (a) actions taken to achieve the renewable and energy efficiency goals of the Order; (b) the extent to which the goal has been achieved; and (c) if the goal was not achieved, an explanation of why and an assessment of what can be done to achieve the goals.

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Arkansas

Law or Policy
Act 1494
Bill Number: HB 1663
Date passed: April 14, 2009

Information
An act to promote the conservation of energy and natural resources in buildings owned by public agencies and institution of higher education; and for other purposes. A major facility of a public agency or an institution of higher education shall be designed, constructed, and certified to at least ten percent reduction below the baseline energy consumption determined in accordance with the Performance Rating Method of Appendix G of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, as it existed on January 1, 2009.

The Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission must develop an energy program to manage energy, water, and other utility uses for public agencies that will reduce total energy consumption per gross square foot for all existing state buildings by twenty percent (20%) by 2014 and thirty percent (30%) by 2017 based on energy consumption for the 2007 – 2008 fiscal year if the savings can be justified by a life-cycle cost analysis.

State-owned buildings and buildings owned by an institution of higher education can be improved by establishing specific performance criteria and goals for sustainable, energy-efficient public buildings that are based on recognized, consensual standards with a scientifically proven basis and a history of successful performance.

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California

Law or Policy
Executive Order B-18-12 – enacted 4/25/2012

Information
All new buildings or major renovations larger than 10,000 square feet must earn the “Silver” level of LEED certification and incorporate on-site renewable energy if economically feasible. The energy savings targets such that grid-based energy purchases must be reduced by 20% by 2018 using 2003 as a baseline.

New state buildings and major renovations started after 2025 must be constructed to be zero net energy, while 50% of existing square footage must be in the process of achieving zero net energy by 2025.

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Colorado

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 07-51 – enacted 2007
Senate Bill 08-147 – enacted 2008

Information
All new facilities, additions, and renovation projects that are 5,000 ft2, funded with 25% or more of state funds, and includes an HVAC system are required to follow the High Performance Certification Program (HPCP) policy adopted by the Office of the State Architect (OSA).
The OSA State Building Program is responsible for adopting building codes for all state-funded facilities. OSA chose LEED Gold as its minimum qualification and Colorado Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CO-CHPS), a green building program specifically for schools, as an alternate for schools with certain sustainable priority credits also required.

Source: DOE

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Connecticut

Law or Policy
Public Acts 06-187 – enacted 2006

Information
State agency facility costing five million dollars or more, renovation of a State agency facility costing two million dollars or more and utilizing two million dollars of state funds, new construction of a facility costing more than five million dollars of which at least two million dollars is state funds, and renovation of a public school facility costing two million dollars or more, all of which is state funding.

Public Act requiring the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with several other state agencies, to adopt building construction regulations for state facilities. The construction standards must be consistent with or exceed the USGBC’s LEED Silver rating for new commercial construction and major renovation projects, or receive a two-globe rating under the Green Globes USA design program, or other equivalent standard.

Source: DSIRE

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Delaware

Law or Policy
Executive Order No. 18 – enacted 02/17/2010

Information
Applies to all state-owned and state-leased buildings. Executive branch state agencies and departments are required to reduce energy consumption by 30% by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 when compared to FY 2008, with interim targets of 10% by the end of FY 2011 and 20% by the end of FY 2013.

Source: DSIRE, BCAP

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District of Columbia

Please check back for updates to this section.

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Florida

Law or Policy
House Bill 7135 – effective 07/01/08

Information
All new construction and renovation of State buildings must follow the guidelines of LEED or other green building rating systems, including Green Globes and the Florida Green Building Coalition standards.

Department of Management Services was directed to adopt the LEED standards for New Construction for all new buildings, and to strive for Platinum certification. The Department of Management Services must also renovate all existing buildings they own and operate on behalf of client agencies to earn certification under LEED for Existing Buildings. The state generally may not enter into new leasing agreements for office space that does not meet Energy Star building standards.

Source: DSIRE

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Georgia

Law or Policy
2011 Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code – Effective January 1, 2011

Information
All state-funded buildings must use the state-mandated code.

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Hawaii

Law or Policy
House Bill 2175 – enacted 06/26/2006
House Bill 1464 – enacted 06/2009

Information
All new state-owned construction of 5,000 square feet or greater, including K-12 public schools.

H.B. 2175 requires each state agency to design and construct buildings to meet the LEED Silver certified level, or a comparable standard.

H.B. 1464 mandates that opportunities for increased energy efficiency must be identified by setting benchmarks for these buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Management or another similar tool.

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Idaho

Law or Policy
House Bill 422 The Energy Efficient State Building Act – enacted 03/25/2008, effective 07/01/2008, expired 07/01/2013

Information
A building project constructed by or renovated by a state agency or for occupancy or use by a state agency that is larger than 5,000 gross ft2 of occupied or conditioned space must be 10-30% more energy efficient than similar buildings on similar sites.

Source: DOE

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Illinois

Law or Policy
H.B. 1013 Green Buildings Act – effective 07/2009

Information
New public buildings and major renovations to seek LEED or Green Globes certification, or the equivalent practical for that project.

Projects over 10,000 ft2 must attain LEED Silver; under 10,000 ft2, an attempt must be made to meet LEED certification requirements, but certification is not required. The Capital Development Board to only issue grants to school projects with LEED for Schools or comparable rating system certification.

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Indiana

Law or Policy
Executive Order 08-14 – enacted 06/28/2008

Information
Complies to all new construction and renovations of existing state buildings.

Requiring all new state buildings to earn LEED Silver certification, the EPA Energy Star rating, two Globes under the Green Globes rating system, or the equivalent under an ANSI accredited rating system.

Source: DOE

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Iowa

Law or Policy
Executive Order No. 6 – enacted 02/21/2008

Information
Requiring 15% reduction in the use of natural gas, fuel oil, electricity, and water in state buildings within 5 years.

Source: DOE

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Kansas

BCAP is unaware of any substantial statewide policy or law that exist for residential structures and the adoption of the IECC 2009 is for state-owned commercial structures, but has no measures of enforcement. If the state is or has implemented a state-wide policy or law, please contact us.

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Kentucky

Law or Policy
House Bill 2 – enacted 04/24/2008 and effective 07/01/2009

Information
Requires all projects for which 50% or more of the total capital cost is paid by the state to meet high performance building standards.

Requirements vary depending on the cost of the project, but generally require that higher budget projects meet higher LEED certification requirements. $25 million must achieve LEED Silver certification or higher; projects between $5 and $25 million must achieve another LEED certification.

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Louisiana

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 240 – effective 07/06/2007

Information
All construction and renovation of major facility projects funded by the state. Each major facility project must be designed, constructed, and certified to exceed the requirements of the state energy code by at least 30 percent. Until December 31, 2009, this requirement applied to all new projects larger than 15,000 gross square feet.
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, it applied to projects larger than 10,000 square feet; after January 1, 2011 it applies to projects larger than 5,000 square feet.

Source: DSIRE

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Maine

Law or Policy
Maine Statutes Title 5, Section 1764-A – enacted 07/01/2004

Information
All new or substantially renovated buildings owned or leased by the state. Facilities must consider energy efficiency, an energy-use target that exceeds standards for commercial and institutional buildings by at least 20%, and a life-cycle cost analysis over a minimum of 30 years that explicitly addresses the costs and benefits of efficiency improvements.

DOE

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Maryland

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 267 The State Buildings Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act – effective 10/01/2006
Senate Bill 208 Maryland High Performance Buildings Act – effective 07/01/2008

Information
Requires all state agencies to reduce their energy consumption 5% by 2009 and 10% by 2010. All new public construction and major renovations larger than 7,500 square feet must achieve the LEED Silver level or two Green Globes.

Read more about Maryland’s High Performance Green Building Program here.

List of applicable codes for state buildings

Source: DOE

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Massachusetts

Law or Policy
Executive Order 484 Leading by Example: Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings – enacted and effective 04/18/2007

Information
This executive order applies to all state government buildings under control of the executive office. Overall energy consumption at state-owned and state-leased buildings should be reduced by 20% by FY2012 and 35% by FY2020. Reduce state government unadjusted greenhouse gas emissions from 2002 baseline 25% by 2012, 40% by 2020, and 80% by 2050.

All new construction and significant renovation projects over 20,000 square feet must meet the Massachusetts LEED Plus green building standard. For projects smaller than 20,000 square feet, all projects shall at least meet the minimum energy performance standards.

Agencies shall also adopt, where applicable, specific energy efficiency measures including but not limited to the use of programmable thermostats, the use of motion sensors or timing devices in rooms that are used only intermittently, the purchase and use of ENERGY STAR certified appliances and office equipment, and the exclusive use of efficient lighting.

Source: DSIRE

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Michigan

Law or Policy
Public Act 295 – enacted and effective 10/06/2008

Information
Applies to all state facilities and sets a goal of reducing state government grid-based energy purchases 25% by 2015 compared to a 2002 baseline. The law directs the Department of Management and Budget (DMB), in consultation with the state Energy Office, to perform and oversee a number of tasks related to achieving this goal.

Report on the Implementation of the P.A. 295 Renewable Energy Standard and the Cost-Effectiveness of the Energy Standards

Source: DSIRE

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Minnesota

Law or Policy
2015 Minnesota Statutes 16B.325 Sustainable Building Guidelines

Information
These guidelines are mandatory for all new buildings receiving funding from the bond proceeds fund after January 1, 2004, and for all major renovations receiving funding from the bond proceeds fund after January 1, 2009. These standards were designed to achieve energy consumption reductions of 60% in 2010 (2003 baseline), increasing 10% every five years towards an ultimate target of 90% in 2025.

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Mississippi

Law or Policy
HB 1266
Effective July 1, 2013

Information
HB 1266 set ASHRAE 90.1-2010 as the mandatory energy code standard for state-owned buildings. (HB 1281 updated the energy code for private commercial buildings to ASHRAE 90.1-2010). Prior to this, the state had a voluntary commercial standard based on ASHRAE 90A-1975. Read more on energy use in Mississippi’s government and public facilities here.

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Missouri

Executive Order No. 09-18
Enacted April 23, 2009
All new state construction, buildings being constructed for lease by the state, and significant renovations and replacement of energy-using equipment shall be at least as stringent as the most recent energy efficiency standards of the IECC. Exemptions shall be limited to those listed in the IECC and exemptions approved by the Director of Facilities Management, Design and Construction.
State Facilities Energy Conservation Operations Program | Guidelines for energy consumption of state government buildings

Senate Bill 1181
Effective August 28, 2008
Modifies and creates provisions pertaining to energy efficiency and energy regulation

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Montana

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 49
Enacted and effective 04/01/2009

Information
Applies to new construction and major renovation projects for state-owned buildings and new construction projects for state-leased buildings. The building or renovation must exceed the effective IECC by 20%, to the extent that it is cost effective.

In June 2013, Montana adopted High Performance Building Standards, promulgated to implement parts of the 2009 legislature’s SB 49. These standards apply to “the construction, renovation, and maintenance of public buildings…as well as all new state-leased buildings”. Read more about these standards here.

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Nebraska

Law or Policy
Legislative Bill 329
Effective 11/2011

Information
Mandatory for all jurisdictions enforcing an energy code; local jurisdictions may adopt their own codes, but state law requires that these local codes be of equal or greater stringency to the current Nebraska Energy Code. However, only those renovations that will cost more than 50 percent of the replacement cost of the building must comply with the code.

Effective January 7, 2004, Legislative Bill 888 modified the Nebraska Energy Code to include new and renovated state buildings with the code’s purview. This reference was updated to the 2009 IECC with the updated 2011 Nebraska Energy Code when LB 329 took effect.

LB 888 Summary: A bill for an act relating to energy codes; to amend section s72-804 to 72-806, 81-1608, 81-1613 to 81-1615, 81-1617, 81-1618, 81-1610, 81-1622, and 81-1625, Reissue Revised Statues of Nebraska, and sections 81-1609, 81-1611, and 81-1616, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2002; to change and harmonize provisions relating to state and local energy codes and standards; to provide operative dates; and to repeal the original sanctions.

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Nevada

Law or Policy
NV Rev Stat § 341.091 – Adoption of standards and performance guidelines relating to efficient use of water and energy
NV Rev Stat § 701.215 – Preparation of state energy reduction plan for certain state-owned buildings
NV Rev Stat § 701.218 – Program to track use of energy in buildings owned by State or occupied by state agency

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New Hampshire

Law or Policy
Executive Order Number 2016-03 (Supersedes EO 2011-1)
Section 155-A:13, New Hampshire Building Code
Enacted by Senate Bill 409

Information
All state buildings are to meet the Energy Star Challenge by increasing energy efficiency by 20 percent.

This requirement does not apply to buildings or structures less than 25,000 square feet; buildings and structures that do not consume energy for heating, ventilating or air conditioning; renovations or modifications estimated to cost less than $1 million; temporary structures; certain public school facilities; the state’s university system; or projects employing new, innovative, or experimental energy efficient technology that might not recoup their incremental costs within 10 years.

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New Jersey

Law or Policy
Executive Order No. 24 – enacted 07/29/2002
New Jersey Statutes Title 52:32-5.3 – effective 01/13/2008

Information
Applies to new buildings larger than 15,000 square feet constructed for the sole use of state entities.

Executive Order requiring all new school designs to incorporate LEED Version 2.0 guidelines in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in school facilities.

Statutes mandating state entities must achieve US Green Building Council LEED Silver rating, a two-globe rating on the Green Building Initiative Green Globe rating system, or a comparable numeric rating from another accredited sustainable building certification program. The law exempts free-standing parking facilities, multiple use maintenance facilities, and storage facilities from the requirement.

Source: DOE, DSIRE

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New Mexico

Law or Policy
SB 200 – signed March 8, 2010
Executive Order 2006-001 – enacted 01/16/2006

Information
SB 200 created a new section of law providing for energy efficiency standards for public buildings. New buildings greater than 3,000 square feet and renovations that add at least 3,000 square feet must meet an energy performance standard of 50% or less of the national average for that type of building. These public buildings must also attain Energy Star certification and conduct energy inventories to attain an energy goal determined by Target Finder. The Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department will be responsible for enforcement.

LEED Silver-NC for larger than 15,000 ft2 and/or 50 kW peak electrical demand; 5,000 and 15,000 ft2 must achieve a minimum delivered energy performance standard of one half of the U.S. energy consumption for that building type as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Public Schools Clean Energy Task Force – energy savings in existing and new public schools. Applies to new construction, renovations, repairs, and replacements of state buildings.

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New York

Law or Policy
Executive Order No. 111 – effective 06/10/2001
State Green Building Construction Act – enacted 09/2008

Information
New construction and renovations being all state buildings above 5,000 square feet and are billed on direct energy usage

The executive order mandates:

  • State agencies must reduce energy consumption by 35% from 1990 levels by 2010 in buildings that they own, lease or operate.
  • All affected entities shall establish targets and schedules to establish peak electric demand reduction targets for each state facility by 2005 and 2010.
  • State agencies must select Energy Star labeled products when acquiring or replacing energy using equipment.
  • New state construction and substantial renovations for buildings of 20,000 ft2 or larger must follow LEED green building guidelines to the maximum extent practical.
  • New state buildings should exceed the state energy code by at least 20% and substantial renovations by at least 10%.
  • Operations of existing buildings should strive to meet the Energy Star building standards for energy performance and indoor air quality.

The State Green Building Construction Act requires state agencies, departments, boards, public benefit corporations, and commissions to follow green building guidelines when constructing or substantially renovating state buildings. The act specifically mentions the USGBC LEED system, the U.S. Green Building Initiative Green Globes system, and the American National Standards Institute in reference to the development of these appropriate procedures.

Compliance With Executive Order 111: Agency Energy Efficiency Goals and Practices

Source: DSIRE

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North Carolina

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 668 – effective 08/31/07
Senate Bill 1946 – effective 08/08/2008

Information
Applies to New buildings owned by the State, the University of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Community College system, which are larger than 20,000 gross square feet. renovation projects when the cost is greater than 50% of the insurance value and the project is greater than 20,000 square feet.

Projects must be designed, constructed and certified to exceed the energy efficiency requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2004 by 30% for new buildings, and 20% for major renovations. Additionally, new buildings must consume 20% less potable water than the North Carolina Plumbing Code requires, and 50% less outdoor water than typical facilities using conventional systems.

Source: DOE

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North Dakota

BCAP is unaware of any substantial statewide policy or law that exist for residential structures and the adoption of the IECC 2009 is for state-owned commercial structures, but has no measures of enforcement. If the state is or has implemented a state-wide policy or law, please contact us.

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Ohio

Law or Policy
House Bill 251 – Enacted 01/2007 (now expired)

Information
Sets energy reduction goals for state agencies to include all state owned and leased facilities. Green House Gas reductions – not based on energy codes.

State Architect’s Office (SAO) of Energy Services within the Department of Administrative Service (DAS) currently administers two programs that are reducing energy use in state funded buildings:

  • Capital Funds program, which funds specific energy efficiency measures for state buildings; and
  • Performance Contracts program, which has simplified and accelerated the process for state agencies in Ohio to enter into contracts with private ESCOs through their Performance Contracts program.

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Oklahoma

Law or Policy
H.B. 3394 – effective 08/21/2009

Information
New construction or substantial renovation projects that begin the design phase after July 1, 2008 in buildings larger than 10,000 square feet. Exempts public schools and state archive buildings. State buildings must meet the certification guidelines of either the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED system or the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes rating system.

Source: DSIRE

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Oregon

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 1533 – enacted 03/27/2012 and effective 01/01/2013

Information
Applies to all public buildings, new construction, reconstruction, and renovations.

New state construction must exceed the energy conservation provisions of the Oregon State building code by 20% or more. Public entities must spend 1.5% of the total contract price of a public improvement contract for new construction or major renovation of a public building on green energy technology.
The bill requires all public building projects for which the total contract price is $1,000,000 or more to include green technologies.

Source: DSIRE

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Pennsylvania

Law or Policy
Executive Order 2004-12 – enacted 12/15/2004
Management Directive No. 720.5 – effective 07/25/2008

Information
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is responsible for enforcement of energy code requirements in all State-owned buildings, no matter where they are located.
State-funded buildings that are not owned by the State are approved for energy compliance by all municipalities that have elected to administer and enforce the Uniform Construction Code or, where municipalities have elected not to enforce the UCC, by the Department (commercial construction) and certified third-party agencies (residential construction) hired by the residential property owner.

Source: DSIRE

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Rhode Island

Law or Policy
Green Buildings Act – enacted and effective 11/09/2009

Information
Public building construction projects 5,000 square feet or larger and public building renovation projects 10,000 square feet or larger achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification or an equivalent certification, such as High Performance Schools Standards, Green Globes Certification, or the International Green Construction Code.

Source: DSIRE

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South Carolina

Law or Policy
South Carolina Energy Efficiency Act – enacted 06/02/2009 and effective 07/01/2009

Information
All state-owned or funded construction projects greater than 10,000 square feet (as well as major renovation projects) must be built to achieve LEED-NC Silver certification offered by the USGBC’s New Construction rating system.

Green Globes or a comparable standard may be substituted, although if LEED certification is sought, the legislation specifies that a building must earn a minimum of four credits under the Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1 designated “Optimize Energy Performance”.

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South Dakota

Law or Policy
South Dakota Codified Laws 5-14-32

Information
Applies to all new construction and renovations of state buildings.
All state buildings must meet the LEED Silver New Construction certification offered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Office of the State Engineer maintains an internal policy—included in all contracts—that all state buildings meet the most current IBC and ASHRAE 90.1 standards.

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Tennessee

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 116 – enacted 05/14/2008 and effective 01/01/2009

Information
Effective June 27, 2010, the energy code for state-owned or funded buildings is ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.

Source: DSIRE

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Texas

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 982
Effective 09/01/2005

Information
Requires that engineers or design architects of new state funded buildings certify that new construction or renovation complies with energy efficient architectural and engineering design evaluation requirements before the construction phase begins.

Texas requires that state government departments compare the estimated cost of conventional design practices and energy systems with the cost using energy efficient architecture and design and/or alternative energy systems. The state agencies and public institutions of higher education must do this for each of the buildings systems (HVAC, water heating, electrical loads etc.) for all new state government construction or renovation. If the energy efficient design is economically feasible then it must be included into the project plans.

Effective June 1, 2016, the 34 Texas Administrative Code §19.32 is amended to establish ASHRAE 90.1-2013 or the 2015 IECC as the standard for state-funded new construction or major renovation projects, except low-rise residential buildings. For low-rise residential buildings, the code was amended to the 2015 IECC. State-funded buildings with a design assignment made on or after June 1, 2016 will be required to comply with the new codes.

In 2009, the state adopted ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for commercial buildings receiving state funding as well as state agencies and higher education. -OR- The 2003 IECC was adopted statewide, effective 9/1/2005 for state-funded residential buildings.

Before beginning construction of a new state building or major renovation project, a state agency or an institution of higher education must submit to SECO a copy of the certification by the design architect or engineer that verifies that the construction or renovation complies with the standards that are established under 34 TAC § 19.34, including engineering documentation. A Water Compliance Certification Form is also now required for buildings greater than 10,000 square feet.

State-funded buildings (SECO)

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Utah

Law or Policy
House Bill 80 – enacted 03/17/2006

Information
Requires the Division of Facilities Construction and Management to administer the State Building Energy Efficiency Program and Building Design Requirements Documents by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, effective on and after June 1, 2009.

Capitol development projects for state-owned and funded buildings that enter the design development phase after June 1, 2009 must be certified LEED Silver.

Source: DSIRE

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Vermont

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 209 – enacted 03/2008

Information
All buildings are mandated to comply with the Residential Building Energy Standards and Commercial Building Energy Standards.

Bill requires the Vermont Department of Public Services to update the state’s RBES and CBES “promptly” after the issuance of updated standards for residential and commercial construction under the IECC.

Source: DSIRE

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Virginia

Law or Policy
Executive Order 82 – enacted and effective 06/10/2009, expires 07/01/2013

Information
All state agencies and institutions constructing state-owned facilities over 5,000 gross sq ft in size, and renovations of such buildings valued at 50% of the assessed building value, shall be designed and constructed to meet the IECC and consistent with energy performance standards at least as energy efficient as LEED Silver or Green Globes 2 Globes Standards, agencies and institutions are instructed to purchase or lease Energy Star-rated appliances and equipment, if Energy Star is available for the category of equipment/appliance. All state-buildings must comply with the 2009 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Part I.

Source: DSIRE

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Washington

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 5509 – effective 07/2005

InformationApplies to all major facility projects for buildings over 5,000 square feet, all state agencies, and institutions of higher education.

Requires all state agencies, institutions of higher education and other entities receiving state funding to meet at least the LEED “Silver” Standard in design, construction, and maintenance, to the extent appropriate. Public K-12 school construction projects receiving state assistance must be built to the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol (WSSP), or to LEED silver.

Source: DSIRE

Washington State Energy Legislation

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West Virginia

Law or Policy
Senate Bill 76 – enacted 03/06/2012 and effective 07/01/2012

Information
Applies to all new construction of public buildings, buildings receiving state grant funds, and buildings receiving state appropriations.

For buildings that have not entered the schematic design phase prior to July 1, 2012, buildings must be designed and construction to comply with the IECC, and ASHRAE 90.1-2007.

Source: DSIRE

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Wisconsin

Law or Policy
Executive Order No. 63 – Enacted 03/09/2012

Information
All new state facilities should be designed to achieve a level of energy efficiency that meets or exceeds the commercial code requirement in effect on the date of the issuance of this order by at least 10 percent so long as such measures are cost-effective on a life-cycle basis.

Source: DSIRE

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Wyoming

BCAP is unaware of any statewide policy or law that exist currently for state-owned or state funding buildings, but they are to follow the 1989 MEC as a statewide minimum standard for state-funded buildings, but it is only recommended and not enforced.

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American Samoa

Please check back for updates to this section.

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Guam

Please check back for updates to this section.

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Northern Mariana Islands

Please check back for updates to this section.

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Puerto Rico

Please check back for updates to this section.

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Virgin Islands

Law or Policy
Act 7075
Enacted 07/2009

Information
Required for all building types, that developers install in all new developments, and substantial building modifications, energy efficient solar water heaters to provide at least 70% of the building’s water heating needs.

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Related pages

  • Connecting with Stakeholders

    Each state approaches the energy code adoption process differently. In most states, codes are adopted through the state congress and pass through both the house and senate sides. No matter who is making the decisions on energy codes, making your voice heard is invaluable to the adoption process.

  • Energy Code Reform

    Setting state-level expectations for improving efficiency can provide a common goal for a state’s government and code community to work toward and can ensure support for codes within state government as a valuable part of high-level strategy. We have categorized energy code policy actions into four different levels.

  • Energy Codes and ARRA

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided two opportunities for states to receive stimulus funds linked to building energy codes: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants and State Energy Programs (SEPs).

  • Making the Case for Building Energy Codes

    Find sample support letters, sample press releases, outreach materials, and consumer resources here.

  • Understanding the Legislative Process

    How do states adopt energy codes? Most use either a regulatory process, a legislative process, or a combination of the two. However, some states are home rule, adopting and enforcing their codes at the local level.

  • Where to Begin: Types of Energy Codes

    Selecting the most current national model energy code (the 2015 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2013) ensures that code reflects changes in technology and design that offer increased energy efficiency.


Other Resources