In my effort to track down which of our home’s materials can be classified as “local,” I have been speaking on the phone to many, many of the subcontractors that helped build our house. I tell them we are going for LEED certification, and they have generally been very helpful. As we wrap up the discussion, several of the subcontractors have asked me something like, “what do you get for LEED?” which I interpret to mean, “why are you doing this?” or, more precisely, “do you get any financial benefit from this?” Good question; one that I ponder almost every day as it consumes more and more of my time to track down each individual half point.
The truth is that we get very little, except that it is third party tested and validated to be energy efficient and healthy — a “green” home. LEED is a nationally recognized program, it differentiates our home from others, and our utility and maintenance bills will be lower than they otherwise would be. I do get satisfaction from all of that. But could I have accomplished those goals without getting LEED certified? Certainly. Then what should change? Public policy.
The State of New Mexico passed a Sustainable Building Tax Credit back in 2007, which provides a very nice financial incentive for homeowners to get LEED certified. They have set aside $5 million annually for this initiative, through the year 2013. Here’s the program, whicih applies to both residential and commercial:
If we lived in New Mexico, we would get a $22,880 tax credit — certainly worth the effort! Nice job, Bill Richardson! While there are several other incentives and credits out there (the U.S. Green Building Council summarizes all government incentives as of March 2009 here), in general LEED for Homes is not-yet ready for prime time. So, first, I am hoping that my own experience will help lead the way toward more sustainable building practices here in Minnesota. Second, I plan to talk to my state legislators about introducing a bill similar to that of New Mexico’s. It could go a long way toward making Minnesota a more sustainable community, and, probably more important to the politicians, create more local jobs. Green jobs, that is.
Given that the Governor’s race is on for only a few more weeks, now is that time to get this type of thing on the radar screen of our lawmakers. Tom Emmer, Tom Horner, and Mark Dayton: what do you think about a sustainable building tax credit for Minnesota?