Feds Must Lease Space in Energy Effecient Buildings

A new law went into effect in late December 2010, mandating that (with few exceptions) federal agencies may only occupy space in buildings that carry the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR label.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 formally went into effect on December 19, 2010. The General Services Agency (GSA), which handles leasing and property matters on behalf of the Federal Government, began integrating the new leasing requirements into negotiations and leases as of September of 2010.

A famous saying is "don't fight the Fed". This is generally attributed to fiscal policy, but the Federal government is the nation's largest commercial tenant, leasing more than 370 million square feet of space in 2008 alone. When the Fed says we only lease in ENERGY STAR buildings, commercial property owners and managers listen.

Sustainability is no longer a trend, it is now a policy.

SF Ranked # 3 in Green Buildings...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its second annual list of metro areas with the most energy efficient buildings - and the San Francisco Metro Area has landed at #3 in the Country. SF actually dropped a spot (it was #2 last year), replaced by Washington D.C. at #2, and Los Angeles at #1.

The rankings surveyed the total number of Energy Star Labeled Buildings in each area. The top 10 list is:

1. Los Angeles
2. Washington D.C.
3. San Francisco
4. Denver
5. Chicago
6. Houston
7. Lakeland
8. Dallas-Fort Worth
9. Atlanta
10. New York, NY

To see the complete list - click (HERE).