California Considers Going Green for New School Construction

A bill proposed by California state Assemblymember Loni Hancok (D-Berkeley) that would require all new school buildings in the state to follow green building standards is being considered in the state Senate, according to a report in the Berkeley Daily Planet (Berkeley, Calif.).

The bill—AB 315—would require all new school buildings built with state funds to be “high-performance schools,” which the legislator’s office defines as schools with increased natural daylight, recycled materials, high indoor air quality and windows that open, according to the report.

The proposed legislation also requires energy-saving methods to be used in construction, such as including solar panels.

According to the Berkeley Daily Planet, a similar version of the bill passed the legislature last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called it “premature.”

Hancock’s new bill would have the State Allocation Board (SAB) establish regulations for the high performance schools, according to the report.