CHICAGO – Continuing his commitment to clean energy and environmentally-friendly business practices, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced $400,000 in new funding for design assistance grants for “green” commercial buildings. These design assistance grants, available through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, are for businesses using the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building rating system.
“As energy bills continue increasing, one of the best ways for businesses to lock in low energy costs is to build the most efficient building possible. Through this new pilot program, businesses can not only save money but also reduce waste and help the environment at the same time. When companies spend less on energy costs, they can spend more on expanding their businesses and creating more jobs,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
LEED is a voluntary rating system promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council to allow building owners and developers to benchmark the environmental performance of their building relative to others. The LEED system considers environmental factors such as the energy efficiency of the building, the use of renewable energy and the use of recycled content building materials, among other factors. For more information on LEED, see www.usgbc.org.
Under the new pilot program, businesses with commercial building construction and renovation projects will be eligible to apply for awards of up to $100,000 if they meet the LEED Gold level of performance, achieve an energy performance of at least 20 percent beyond the minimum energy code and incorporate best practices in solid waste management.
“Green buildings are a high growth area, and when Gov. Blagojevich puts his seal of approval on green building practices by announcing this program, it helps make the industry real and moves us another big step forward,” said Lois Vitt Sale of Phoenix Architects and the chair of the Chicago Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. “This funding will be very helpful to move more green building projects forward.”
Guidelines for the program are available on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Web site at www.illinoisenergy.org. Projects seeking to apply under the new program must submit a preliminary notice of intent to apply by November 15 and final applications are due January 2, 2006.
“There is no doubt that building green helps our environment and our economy. Gov. Blagojevich has launched an innovative program that is going to help businesses save money as energy bills continue to rise,” State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said.
“We must continue finding ways to help our economy grow while still protecting our environment. Gov. Blagojevich and I are pleased to help encourage more commercial green building because it is a win for business and a win for the environment,” State Representative Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) said.
“Illinois is a premier location for top-flight architecture and design firms, and this program will help support their efforts to innovate and to position Illinois as a leader in environmentally-friendly design. By helping to reduce waste and energy use in new buildings, they will not only help improve the environment but also help create jobs in a growing new industry,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Green design incorporates design practices that significantly reduces or eliminates the negative impact of buildings on the environment and the building occupants.
Funding for the program was made available from two sources. Half of the funding comes from a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to DCEO to support this program, and half of the funding comes from the Illinois Solid Waste Management Fund as administered by DCEO. Because the program brings benefits in both energy conservation and solid waste reduction, the program is funded through both sources.
“The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation has had a very successful program for the past five years to support the design and commissioning of LEED projects to not-for-profits and government agencies. The Foundation is very pleased now to help Gov. Blagojevich make funding available to the private sector,” said Phil Novak, Chair of the Foundation. “With the new DCEO program and the Foundation program, funding for LEED projects will be available to all sectors as an incentive to develop state-of-the-art green buildings.”
Prior Foundation grants have resulted in 60 successful green schools, college buildings, museums and affordable housing models in communities across Illinois.
Gov. Blagojevich signed legislation in 2005 that is spearheading the growth of “green” building methods throughout the state. It requires the Capital Development Board to identify at least three state construction projects to serve as case studies in the use of “green” principles – the first project, currently underway, is the new Workforce Training Center at Heartland Community College in Bloomington-Normal. The other identified project is the planned Integrated Post-Harvest Processing Center for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A third project will be named later this year. The legislation also forms the Green Building Advisory Committee, a group that will develop energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly guidelines for state construction projects.
This announcement is consistent with a series of several other significant clean energy and environmental initiatives by Gov. Blagojevich. The Governor recently announced a bold energy plan designed to triple Illinois’ production of biofuels, to replace 50 percent of the state’s energy supply with homegrown fuels by 2017, to increase the share of the state’s electricity coming from renewable resources from 1 percent today to 10 percent by 2015 and to build 10 new clean coal gasification plants across the state. In further assistance to green buildings, Gov. Blagojevich has also announced $1 million in funding for rebates for small solar energy systems and $1 million in funding for grants for large solar thermal energy systems.