New Mexico Commits to Green Building

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed an executive order in January 2006 requiring all executive branch state agencies, including the Higher Education Department, to adopt the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED^® Rating System. New buildings 15,000 ft² (1,400 m²) or larger and those with over 50 kW of peak electricity demand are required to achieve LEED Silver. The same applies to renovation projects that are 15,000 ft² or larger or have over 50 kW of peak electricity demand and include upgrading or replacing two of the three major systems (HVAC, lighting, and plumbing). In addition, all new and renovation projects larger than 5,000 ft² (465 m²) are required to use no more than half the average U.S. energy consumption for their building type, as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. The order is online at www.governor.state.nm.us/orders/2006/EO_2006_001.pdf.