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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ruth
A. Myers |
State Rep. Matt Smith |
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Smith unveils ‘green’ building legislation
PITTSBURGH, June 8 – State Rep. Matt Smith, D-Allegheny, today unveiled two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the number of environmentally friendly “green” buildings in Pennsylvania.
“These bills establish a financial incentive for entrepreneurs and business owners to take responsibility for the types of buildings they own, and to contribute to the health of our environment for future generations,” Smith said.
Smith said the bills are intended to meet a number of specific purposes, including:
- to promote higher energy and environmental standards for construction and renovation in the state;
- to increase the demand for environmentally friendly building materials and furnishings;
- to create public awareness of new technology that can improve health and productivity of those living and working in green buildings;
- to reduce dependence on imported sources of energy thanks to buildings that conserve energy and use local and renewable energy sources; and
- to improve Pennsylvania’s capacity to design, build and operate green buildings, which creates new jobs and contributes to economic growth.
The first bill, H.B. 1204, would require that buildings constructed or renovated with state funds meet the environmental standards known as the “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System” developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The other, H.B. 1205, would provide a tax credit for residential or commercial construction or renovations that meet the LEED standard. To qualify, residential buildings would be required to have at least 10,000 square feet and at least four stories, while commercial or industrial buildings also would need to be at least 10,000 square feet. A complex of buildings that meets those size requirements would also qualify for the tax credit, if the square footage totals at least 30,000 square feet of interior space.
Smith was joined at the news conference by Jeaneen Zappa, deputy director for the Green Building Alliance; Eamon Geary, also of GBA; Richard Piacentini of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden; and Catherine T. Sheane, sustainable design manager at Astorino, a Pittsburgh architecture firm.
“It is one of many pieces of environmentally friendly and sustainable legislation, including the governor’s Energy Independence Strategy, that represent progressive public policy for Pennsylvania,” Zappa said about Smith’s package of green buildings legislation.
"As architectural designers with a strong commitment to sustainability and as active participants in the green building industry of western Pennsylvania, Astorino supports state incentives such as House Bills 1204 and 1205 for projects that take the extra steps to meet high energy and environmental standards,” Sheane said. “Passing this legislation will assist Pennsylvania in maintaining its position among the states with the largest number of LEED-certified building projects, contribute to a healthy pattern of growth in our cities, and attract creative and environmentally minded businesses and citizens to the state."
Smith said he expects that both bills will be assigned to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee for further review.
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