by Shane Henson — January 23, 2012—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its 2011 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification system is considered the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
According to the list, the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia, leads the nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2011. Colorado came in second, with 2.74 square feet per person in 2011.
Other states that made the top 10 list are, in order of their ranking: Illinois, Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, California, New York and Minnesota.
Notable newly certified projects in 2011 include the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., which is distinguished as the oldest LEED-certified project in the world; the LEED Platinum-certified Casey Middle School in Boulder, Colorado; the iconic Wrigley Building in Chicago, Illinois; Frito-Lay in Lynchburg, Virginia, which earned LEED Gold for the operations and maintenance of an existing building; the LEED Silver Hard Rock Café in Seattle, Washington; Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland; Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts; and the LEED Gold Austin Convention Center in Texas.
