Nearly 50 U.S. firms, including Google, GE, and AT&T, urged the President to let consumers know how much energy they use so they can decide where to cut back. The group said technology exists to let consumers see their power use. Also, the group asked for disclosure on energy pricing plans and generation options.

Lux Research believes the market for energy saving green buildings technologies will expand from $144 billion in 2010 to $277 billion in 2020 - a growth rate of 6.1% compound annually.

The "Building Better" report says Floridians may save $200 per worker each year by 2020 if stringent green building goals are adopted for new and existing buildings.  New standards proposed include building codes for extremely efficient buildings that obtain all their energy from renewable sources like solar panels and wind turbines.

By June of 2010, San Anselmo could become the third municipality in Marin County to adopt a green building ordinance for new construction and home remodels.

Seven leading green contracting companies partnered with USGBC-NCC to host the first green building conference for subcontractors in the South San Francisco Conference Center on June 10, 2010.

Developers in Sacramento are using sustainability as a key marketing tool to attract tenants. Nearly 100 commercial and institutional buildings in Sacramento and surroundings counties meet either Energy Star or LEED standards.  About a third of the region's estimated 26 LEED-certified commercial buildings are privately owned.

Building owners, operators, and experts can join DOE's Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) initiative which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The CBP matches owners and operators with experts who provide technical expertise in design, construction, and validation of energy efficient buildings.

Chief Operating Officer of the USGBC, Chris Smith, explains the basics of the USGBC's LEED program via video.

Motivated by economic benefits and altruism, Canadian retailers are going to great lengths to tout their environmental and social policies.

Sierra View earned LEED Gold for its 650,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse in California.  The project features a savings of 2 M KW hours of electricity annually compared to a conventional building and 42% of the building materials are sourced and manufactured regionally.

California's Sweetwater Union High School District is designing nine buildings to earn LEED Gold. Further, designers recently completed plans for a LEED Platinum middle school in the district. 

The W San Francisco is the 1^st nation brand hotel and the 7th existing U.S. hotel to achieve LEED Silver.  The WFS has maintained a fairly robust green program for a few years, including a green meetings program and a green bar program it calls "Ecolicious."  The project features upgraded HVAC, efficient lighting, waste reduction, and less toxic cleaning products.

The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) earned 4 LEED Gold and 1 LEED Silver for projects totaling nearly 2 million square feet. The buildings feature double-pane windows, automatic lighting controls, low-flow plumbing, reflective white roofing and proximity to public transit.

Oakland Airport became the first passenger terminal in the U.S. to earn LEED NC Silver.  The airport features energy efficiency measures that exceed California energy standards by 25% and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 211 tons per year and diverted over 80% of jobsite waste.

A new home in Mill Valley is the first to earn LEED-Platinum in Marin County California.  The home features reclaimed exposed timber framing, solar thermal and hot water, low-flow toilets, showers and faucets, recycled concrete countertops, and sinks. Click here for a slide show of the home.

Since 2005, Citi has consolidated 52 data centers into 24, three of which are LEED-certified. A massive virtualization drive saved the company 73% in server power and cooling requirements, trimming its carbon footprint by more than 300 tons of carbon dioxide. All of these moves combined to propel Citi to the top of the list of America's Greenest Banks.

Green Depot earned New York State's first LEED Platinum rating for a retail store.  The store features indoor air quality, low VOC finishes, a high efficiency air handlers and custom LED light fixtures.

Marriot International earned LEED Gold for its 30-year old headquarters. The investment to make its headquarters more energy efficient saves Marriot at least $700,000 annually and up to $1.3 million in tax credits within the next three years. The company currently has 40 other LEED-certified or registered facilities.
Related: Marriott promises 300 LEED hotels by 2015 (GreenerBuildings)

Three Hines buildings in the Point West submarket, (1) 1545 River Park, (2) 1601 Response Road and (3) 1610 Arden Way, earned the ENERGY STAR® rating from the EPA in recognition of exemplary energy performance. With an average ENERGY STAR score of 89, these Point West buildings are 38 percent more energy efficient and save $0.94 in energy costs per square foot per year when compared to the national average building. The project features new direct digital controls; optimized boiler reset and start times on all HVAC equipment; installed controls for outside lighting; and Hines’ GREEN OFFICE for Tenants program to enhance overall sustainability.