Sacramento Bee

Green light for governor?

Three pro-environment bills await his OK

September 24 , 2007

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is about to be tested on how far he's willing to go to keep his reputation green.

Sitting on the governor's desk are three Democratic bills that would expand California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring state, residential and certain commercial buildings to adopt environmentally responsible practices in design and construction.

If Schwarzenegger signs the bills, California could begin requiring more efficient use of water in new homes as well as energy-efficient lighting in large office buildings, and more state workers could find themselves treading on recycled carpet.

"If he's serious about reducing global warming, he needs to make buildings more efficient," said Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, co-author of Assembly Bills 888 and 1058, which deal, respectively, with commercial and residential buildings.

The governor has until Oct. 12 to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature. The executive branch has remained mum about whether Schwarzenegger will sign the three green building bills, but state officials say they are already working toward green building standards.

"It wouldn't change much of what we're doing," said David Walls, executive director of the Building Standards Commission, which has opposed both bills. The commission regulates building codes.

Building and business interests also are concerned about the cost of going green at a time when construction costs are rising.

AB 888 would require some commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet, including banks and auto dealerships, to meet a gold rating by 2013 from the U.S. Green Building Council, which developed the widely used Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system to measure a building's energy efficiency.

LEED ratings are based on points, and Bob Raymer of the California Building Industry Association said that spending a few hundred dollars on energy-efficient lighting could earn a project the same number of points as installing solar panels, which can run tens of thousands of dollars.

"If you've got a relatively small building and you've got to comply with LEED goals, it's going to cost you more than 1 or 2 percent" of construction costs, Raymer said. "And I'm not sure you'd recoup it."

To be certified as a LEED green building, commercial projects must meet certain prerequisites. Depending on the number of points they accumulate, the projects are awarded either a certified, silver, gold or platinum rating.

Lieu wants the state to adopt the gold rating as the state standard. Assembly Bill 35 by Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City, would direct state buildings to meet the same standard after 2010.

AB 1058, meanwhile, would direct the Department of Housing and Community Development to set a statewide residential green building standard. The U.S. Green Building Council, which doesn't now have a residential LEED scale, is developing one.

"When you look at the energy consumption and waste of the construction process, they're all huge issues in relation to greenhouse gases and general environmental protection," said Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, co-author of the bill.

Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists say technology has improved enough that it doesn't cost much to build green. To appease opponents concerned about allowing a nongovernmental group to set standards, Lieu amended AB 888 to let the state's Building Standard Commission establish its own green standards.

Dan Geiger, executive director of the Northern California chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, believes owners often can find themselves saving money in the long run.

A recent study of 221 buildings conducted by the consulting firm Davis Langdon found "no significant difference in average costs" when comparing green and non-green buildings ranging from laboratories to libraries.

The study, titled "Cost of Green Revisited," also found that although average construction costs rose dramatically in the previous three years, many projects achieved LEED certification within budget.

The governor has set a goal to reduce energy use by 20 percent in state-owned buildings by 2015. According to the Department of General Services, the state has nine LEED-certified buildings and more than 100 on the way.

Inside the old Department of Education building at Seventh Street and Capitol Mall, the state has spent $18 million renovating the 145,000-square-foot structure, which the state hopes will earn a LEED silver rating.

When Department of Rehabilitation employees move into the 1950s building, they will get 21st century technology.

White, light-reflecting rubber replaced the heat-absorbing gravel on the roof. Motion-sensor lighting was installed to save energy. And a less toxic carpet was made from recycled carpet.

The California Environmental Protection Agency building at 10th and I streets already boasts a LEED platinum rating. The new California State Teachers' Retirement System headquarters going up in West Sacramento will seek a gold rating.

Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists applaud the effort but say the state can do more, not only in government buildings but in homes and offices.

"How does rejecting these green building bills fit in (Schwarzenegger's) role in fighting global warming?" said Jim Metropulos, legislative representative for Sierra Club California. "We can't just be fighting (emissions from) moving cars and coal plants. One of the most economical ways is energy efficiency in buildings."

Chuck Hack, director of business development for Lionakis Beaumont Design Group, a private firm, said it can be difficult to talk commercial developers into spending money on LEED certification.

But "at the end of the day, the way technology and products are going, building sustainable should not cost any additional money," Hack said.

"It should just be part of good design."