Green Building Code adopted in California!

Well the Governator Arnold has gone and completed another one of his promises and we now have a green building code.  It is optional mostly for now and these provisions will be made mandatory in the 2010 version of the code. We are however the first to enact a statewide code.

Except from the Today’s Facility Manager site: (http://todaysfacilitymanager.com/facilityblog08/2008/07/california-green-building-code-adopted.html)

“The California Building Standards Commission yesterday announced the unanimous adoption of the nation’s first statewide green building code. The code is a direct result of Governor Schwarzenegger‘s direction to the Commission and will lead to improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption in all new construction throughout the state, while also reducing the carbon footprint of every new structure in California.”

Another reason it is optional is to give local cities the chance to syncronize theri local ordinances with the state wide version.  In some areas some of the rules are actually already more stringent, like in LA county.

Overall this is a big step for the most populous state in the union and should create great long term energy and sustainability benefits over the long term. I am greatly in favor of this step. I just wish that this would have happened sooner.  There have been cities up and own the state that have enacted measures as well as cities across the country. (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/12/21/103650/14)

Here also is a list of cities that are enacting green building codes across the nation:

http://www.matternetwork.com/2008/4/green-building-codes-hitting-major.cfm

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