The Westminster Police Headquarters in Westminster, Calif. (Orange County) was among the LEED Platinum certifications in the Golden State in 2013.

On Feb. 18, 2014, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED. The list highlights the regions around the country at the forefront of the movement for sustainable building design, construction and operation. LEED-certified spaces use less energy and water, reduce carbon emissions and generally contribute to a healthier environment.

"In the face of the extraordinary global challenge of climate change, our national imperative to create resource-efficient and cost-effective green buildings has never been greater," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of USGBC.

The U.S. Green Building Council, curiously, bases its LEED rankings on the per-capita square footage to extrapolate its top 10 states list. USGBC asserts the per-capita figures is "a measure of the human element of green building, allowing for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and, accordingly, number of overall buildings."

*Washington, D.C., is not ranked, as it is a federal district, not a state.

The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified through 2013. Regardless, California leads LEED in the number of certified 595 projects (595) and in square footage (72,729,476). If looking only at per-capita square footage, the Golden State would place fifth.

"We're proud of California's leadership in green building and LEED certification," said "California's business community, building industry and policymakers understand the critical role USGBC and LEED play to advance the new green economy and create healthy buildings, communities and environments for all," observed Dan Geiger, executive director of the USGBC Northern California Chapter.

"California's accomplishments in the certification of 595 LEED projects in 2013 is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability and the dedication of our green building professionals and their clients to providing a healthier, more environmentally sustainable state," added Barbara Eljenholm, who chairs the USGBC Orange County Chapter.

A few notable projects certified in California in 2013 include:
• San Francisco JAZZ Center (Gold)
• University of California, Santa Barbara Ocean Science Education Building (Gold)
• DPR Construction's Newport Beach office (Gold)
• Wells Fargo Center, L.A. (Gold)
• Westminster Police Headquarters (Platinum)
• Humanscale San Diego office (Gold)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla (Gold)
• Lands End Lookout, San Francisco (Platinum)
• The Sunset Millennium, West Hollywood (Gold)
• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation headquarters, Agoura Hills (Platinum)

Collectively, 1,777 commercial and institutional projects became LEED certified within the top 10 states in 2013, representing 226.8 million square feet of real estate. Worldwide, 4,642 projects were certified in 2013, representing 596.8 million square feet.