North Carolina bill would ban green rating systems that put state lumber industry at disadvantage

North Carolina lawmakers have introduced state legislation that would restrict the use of national green building rating programs, including LEED, on public projects.

House Bill 628 would insert new language in a section of state law that calls for energy- and water-use standards for major public facility construction and renovations. The bill says those projects may use a “nationally recognized high performance environmental building rating system” if that green building program doesn’t use a credit system “disadvantaging materials or products manufactured or produced” in North Carolina.

The bill requires the rating program to award points to wood certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the American Tree Farm System—programs that are not eligible for LEED points.

(http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/going_green/2013/04/house-bill-may-limit-state-leed.html)