April/May 2009
Greening The Government
C O N T E N T S
Executive Director's Corner: Standing with Giants, by Deb Kleinman
Special: Remembering Greg Franta, by Annette Stelmack
LEED: Aardex Receives Second Platinum LEED Certification from the USGBC, by Mike Hehir
Energy Incentives: Xcel Announces New Incentives, by Erine Mathe
Sustainable Development: Grassroots Efforts Support a Sustainable Ethic, by Sarah Martinez
Government: Greening the Government: State Leads by Example, by Angie Fyfe
Case Study: Extracting Value From NAIOP's Highly Criticized Building Cost Report, by Courtney France
Go Green, Save Money: Rep. Perlmutter Legislation Promotes Going Green To Save Green, by Christopher Votoupal
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
Greening The Government Program
State Leads By Example
By Angie Fyfe, Greening Government Program Manager, Governor's Energy Office
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All but nine states have adopted high performance design standards for new state buildings and renovations or set goals to reduce energy consumption in existing state buildings as part of a green government program. These policies have a variety of positive impacts on the state. First and foremost, they save taxpayer dollars. The average age of a state government building in the U.S. is estimated at more than 50 years. As an institution that holds buildings for decades, even centuries, it makes good economic sense to invest in those facilities to reduce operating costs for the long term.
As the term “lead by example” implies, public sector undertakings in energy efficiency and renewable energy serve as high profile demonstration projects, and encourage others to embark on similar ventures. Perhaps the most visible benefit in today’s economic climate is potential for economic stimulus and job growth. In early 2008, the Governor’s Energy Office commissioned The American Solar Energy Society of Boulder, Colorado and Management Information Services, Inc. of Washington D.C. to conduct a Green Jobs study for Colorado. The Green Jobs report found that energy efficiency and renewable energy created over 90,000 jobs in Colorado in 2007, and accounted for approximately ten billion dollars in revenue.
According to the report, Colorado is well positioned to facilitate and take a
dvantage of the expected growth in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. Along with the presence of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, the state boasts research and educational capacity through its universities; Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado, and the new School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University.
In addition to institutions of higher education, apprenticeship and job training programs will need to be developed and expanded to address the needs of these emerging industries. The report predicts that energy efficient construction and green buildings will generate the largest number of green jobs in Colorado. Other jobs include occupations such as biofuel plant engineers, battery testing technicians, urban renewal planners, waste management specialists, wind turbine technicians, and energy field auditors, just to name a few.
Governor Ritter’s economic stimulus recommendations to the Obama administration and Colorado’s congressional delegation include investment in Colorado’s New Energy Economy. Specifically, the Governor recommended investment in capital projects to generate immediate construction employment, long term business development, industry job creation, and energy infrastructure transformation.
To learn more about Colorado’s Greening Government Program, the Governor’s Energy Office or to view Colorado’s Green Jobs Report, visit www.colorado.gov/energy or contact Angie Fyfe, Greening Government Program Manager at angie.fyfe@state.co.us or 303-866-2059.
The mission of the Governor’s Energy Office is to lead Colorado to a New Energy Economy by advancing energy efficiency and renewable, clean energy resources. The New Energy Economy embraces energy conservation as an important component in our energy future, yet requires a broader mission to meet the goals of expanding renewable and clean energy resources and opportunities for the state’s economy, environment and energy independence.