The Top LEED States

California amassed 54,252,993 sq. feet of LEED certified space certified in 2012. The Adobe Systems headquarters in San Jose, Calif. was among the LEED certified projects in the Golden State in 2012.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), based in Washington, D.C., has released its annual list of the top 10 states for new LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certifications in 2012. The rankings are based on per-capita square feet of LEED space certified in 2012.

California ranks ninth on the list, but the Golden State had by far more sq. footage (54,252,993) of LEED space certified in 2012 than any other state. The national total of LEED-certified space for 2012 was 309,116,796 sq. ft. Based on per capita, California certified 1.46 square feet per resident last year, standing behind Washington, with 1.56 square feet, and in front of Texas, with 1.43 square feet.

"Across California, architects, designers, chapter leaders and everyday citizens are coming together to create the healthiest possible environments for working, living and playing," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and the founding chairman of USGBC.

"Passion, education and dedication are the foundation of the volunteer efforts of USGBC chapters in California," said Lorraine Alexander, who chairs the USGBC Redwood Empire Chapter.

"It has been a pleasure to be a part of the change that is coming about due to the green building movement. The evolution of peoples' mindsets about what green building actually entails is evidenced by the number of certified and registered LEED projects throughout our communities," noted Michelle Bracewell-Musson, president of the USGBC Central California Chapter.

Notable LEED projects certified in California in 2012 include:
• Levi Strauss headquarters, San Francisco, LEED Gold
• Wounded Warrior headquarters and Hope and Care Center, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, LEED Platinum
• Siena Youth Center, Redwood City, LEED Platinum
• Mojave Water Agency headquarters, Apple Valley, LEED Gold
• The eight-building Knight Management Center, Stanford Graduate School of Business, LEED Platinum
• Adobe Systems headquarters, San Jose, Platinum in LEED for Commercial Interiors

The full list of the top states and Washington, D.C., is as follows:

LEED is the most widely recognized and widely used green building program in the world, transforming buildings, homes and communities in all 50 U.S. states and 135 countries. Worldwide, more than 15,000 commercial projects have certified under LEED, with more than 35,000 additional projects in the pipeline, totaling more than 10.3 billion square feet of space.