Oct 13 2009
Furthering Governor Schwarzenegger’s energy and environmental goals, the California Department of General Services today announced that 25 state office buildings have now been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“By ‘greening’ our buildings, we reduce state government’s impact on climate change and the environment, while also operating healthier facilities within which to conduct state business,” said Ron Diedrich, DGS Acting Director. “General Services is implementing building operations and maintenance procedures across its building portfolio to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, cut water use, and utilize environmentally-friendly cleaning products.”
The most recent properties cited by the U.S. Green Building Council for “green” building operations and maintenance include: Caltrans District 11 Building, San Diego; Elihu Harris State Office Building, Oakland; Fresno State Office Building; and the Mission Valley State Office Building, San Diego.
In addition to seeking LEED certification for its existing building stock, DGS is also pursuing green building certification for state facilities that are under construction.
In 2004, the governor issued California’s Green Building Initiative, which calls for state facilities to be designed, built and operated as models of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. As the state’s real estate portfolio manager, DGS oversees the design, construction and operations of most state office buildings.
The state’s green building database is available online at www.greenbuildings.dgs.ca.gov