State backs away from 'green' building energy problems

October 11, 7:45 PMSeattle Public Policy ExaminerJohn Barnes

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"Green" buildings have been at the center of the Department of Ecology's strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. After promising dramatic energy savings from "green" buildings, officials at the Department of Ecology and in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction are rapidly backing away from those claims. Internal e-mails show officials in those agencies admitting that a recent report on green schools "was not trying to show energy savings," and other officials claiming that the buildings are better because they create pride in the schools, saying "I don't even need test scores" to show the value. These revelations are are just the latest evidence, now acknowledged by a number of groups across the country, that, despite increasing construction costs, "green" buildings are not living up to the promises made when mandating the expensive standards.

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