hb2 kicks off, ranks KY among top in the nation in green construction

June 09

House Bill 2, passed by the 2008 Kentucky General Assembly, went into effect July 1, beginning a new chapter in sustainability in public construction in the Commonwealth. The new law requires all construction or renovation of public buildings for which 50 percent or more is funded by the Commonwealth to meet high performance building standards. The law sets a sliding scale of certification level based on the project budget, as follows:

  • $25 million or more - LEED Silver level or higher

  • $5 to $25 million - LEED Certified or higher

  • Less than $5 million - Designed using LEED Rating System as guidance.


The new law corresponds with the kickoff of the new LEED Version 3 requirements that the U.S. Green Building Council set into effect June 27.

According to the Governor’s office, these new standards put Kentucky in an elite group of 12 states with laws requiring that some or all design, construction and operation of state buildings earn LEED Silver or other comparable standard. The regulations, which will make Kentucky’s public facilities among the greenest and most energy efficient in the country, were developed following six months of work by the High Performance Buildings Advisory Committee (HPBAC), administered through the Kentucky Finance Cabinet.

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