South Carolina Considers LEED Legislation

South Carolina State Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, has introduced several pieces of legislation that concern setting green building standards in the state, according to a report in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.).

The first bill introduced by Ritchie would require state-funded buildings—either new construction or renovations—to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard for energy efficiency.

A second building would require new or renovated K-12 schools to meet the LEED Silver standard, while a third would provide tax incentives and a faster permitting process for private developers seeking to meet the LEED Silver standard.

While achieving a Silver rating might add up to 2 percent to the cost of construction upfront, Ritchie says the savings in energy more than makes up for the investment, according to the report.