State Senator Chap Petersen's Green Public Buildings Act Unanimously Passed

From the Office of State Senator Petersen

January 27, 2010

CONTACT: Julia Kim
804-698-7534

Richmond, Virginia - January 27, 2010 - Senator Chap Petersen's Green Public Buildings Act, Senate Bill no. 109, was unanimously passed in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Wednesday.

"The bill's goal is to significantly reduce utility usage, preserve the environment and save taxpayer dollars," said Petersen to his Senate committee colleagues.

The Green Public Buildings Act requires all new construction of state buildings greater than 5,000 gross square feet in size to adhere to the LEED Silver or Green Globes two globes standard. This also applies to new renovations of state buildings where the cost of reconstruction exceeds 50 percent of the building's value.

"This bill allows the Commonwealth to be good stewards of the environment and taxpayers' dollars. It represents a commonsense solution to the issue of balancing revenue and spending," said Joe Stanley, Director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit conservation advocacy group.

Senate Bill no. 109 is just one component of Senator Petersen's overall energy conservation plan, which also includes the SAVE Act.

Both are endorsed by Virginia's League of Conservation Voters, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to the advocacy of conservation issues defined by various organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

According to Sue Rowland of the four Virginia chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council, the private sector has already embraced the benefits of high performance buildings, and Senator Petersen's proposed legislation will raise state buildings to the same standards as many of those in the private sector.

The Senate Finance Committee will review Senate Bill no. 109 before being voted on by the full Senate.

Senator Chap Petersen represents Virginia's 34th State Senate district, which includes Fairfax City and much of Fairfax County. He is member of the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee.

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