California ranks 7th in national green building rankings

California was national leader in total structures and overall square footage

Illinois topped rankings in square feet per resident

BY MARK GLOVER

mglover@sacbee.com

For a second straight year, California ranked seventh on the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual ranking of the nation’s top 10 states for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Rankings are based on per-capita square footage of structures receiving LEED certification in 2015. California’s LEED-certified square footage equaled 2.34 square feet per resident in 2015. Illinois ranked No. 1 for a second straight year with 3.43 square feet per resident.

In terms of the number of structures and overall square footage certified in 2015, California was far and away the national leader, with 618 buildings and 87.3 million square feet. LEED-certified buildings use less energy and water resources, reduce carbon emissions and generally foster a healthier environment.

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