California: Green Building Standards Code

New Buildings in California Now Required to Be More Efficient

Jan 4, 2011 - New buildings in California must now be more environmentally responsible under provisions of the state's Green Building Standards Code that took effect with the new year.

CALGreen is the first statewide green building code in the country and contains voluntary as well as mandatory provisions. The required measures set a threshold for green building in the state and the voluntary portions provide parameters for higher standards of green building. The rules are the latest version of California building code provisions that began as entirely voluntary measures. Adopted in 2008, the provisions took effect in 2009 with a timetable to convert the baseline standards to mandatory measures.

"One of the big benefits of the new building code provisions is that they make the whole subject of green building much more accessible," said attorney Jennifer Hernandez, who co-chairs the environmental team at Holland & Knight in addition to leading the law firm’s West Coast land use and environment practice group. {continued}