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USGBC Announces Top States for LEED Certified Buildings

Massachusetts was ranked the top state for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a green building certification developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The state, which moved up from third place in 2021, certified 3.7 square feet of building space per person under LEED in 2022.

The top 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, certified 1,225 projects and more than 353 million gross square feet under LEED last year. Although Washington, D.C. does not appear in the official top 10 list because it is not a state, it consistently leads the nation in LEED-certified square footage per capita. In 2022, the nation’s capital certified 46.06 square feet of space per resident across 115 green building projects.

The top 10 LEED states include:

• Massachusetts, 3.76 certified gross square footage per capital and 96 green building projects
• Illinois, 3.48 certified gross square footage and 91 projects
• New York, 3.17 certified gross square footage and 142 projects
• California, 2.44 certified gross square footage and 78 projects
• Maryland, 2.39 certified gross square footage and 80 projects
• Georgia, 2.25 certified gross square footage and 66 projects
• Colorado, 2.17 certified gross square footage and 59 projects
• Virginia, 1.89 certified gross square footage and 95 projects
• Texas, 1.67 certified gross square footage and 174 projects
• Oregon, 1.43 certified gross square footage and 36 projects.

“It was a strong year for LEED certifications across the U.S. as companies and governments embrace LEED as a tool for meeting ESG goals and organizational commitments to climate action, occupant well-being, and resource efficiency,” said Peter Templeton, USGBC president and CEO. “LEED buildings are environmentally friendly, cutting their emissions and waste, and use less energy and water. At the same time, they also help reduce operational and maintenance costs, contributing to the bottom line.”