D.C. Sees A Boom In Green Buildings

Washington, D.C. has been getting national recognition for it's pro-environmental approach to planning and building for several years, and this is just the latest accolade from the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certified buildings.

"D.C. was actually head and shoulders above many of the other states on the list," says Ashley Katz, a spokesperson for the Council.

D.C. compared well against individual cities also. At a twelfth the size of New York City, the District only had one fewer LEED certified buildings. Christophe Tulou, head of D.C.'s Department of the Environment, says the boom in green buildings only started about five years ago.

"I would classify this as a revolution," he says. "This is a fabulous and wonderful explosion for us in D.C."

One reason to this explosion is a large number of federally owned or occupied buildings in the District. They have to maintain high environmental standards by law. But Tulou says District laws and a cooperative development community have really pushed the city to the number one spot.

"A marketplace, the builders, the architects the engineers, the developers, and a community that really wants to live and work in highly efficient and effective buildings," says Tulou.

The energy savings of having energy efficient buildings don't hurt either.