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| New York Governor David Paterson. |
New York Governor David Paterson has signed an amended version of the green building construction bill that state lawmakers originally passed last year.
The State Green Building Construction Act, which goes into effect in mid-2010, requires that state-owned buildings be developed or renovated in accordance with sustainability principles.
Under the amended bill, authority to develop those guidelines is transferring from the Department of Environmental Conservation to the Office of General Services, which already oversees energy efficiency and voluntary LEED certification initiatives for the state’s facilities.
The governor signed the bill late last month.
“Over the years OGS has demonstrated its ability to put policy into practice through its sustainable policies and LEED-certified green buildings program,” Gov. Paterson said in a statement. “I am confident that OGS will chart a sustainable path for environmentally sound, healthy and productive environments.”
OGS has pursued LEED certification at its real estate projects for the past five years on a voluntary basis. It successfully earned LEED Gold earlier this year at the Governor’s Mansion.
The sustainable construction guidelines the agency is drafting are expected to be similar to those found in the LEED standard.