Green Building Standards Not Always Worthy Option

Even as New Orleans earns a reputation as a hotbed of sustainable building, the city lags far behind other areas in adopting the country's most broadly accepted green building standard.

In the eight years since the U.S. Green Building Council introduced its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, only three of the thousands of structures that have risen in the New Orleans area have earned the program's namesake green certification. Another 46 are in planning stages, 25 of which are slated to rise in New Orleans or its suburbs.

The numbers place Louisiana fifth from the bottom in a ranking of the 50 states based on how many LEED projects have been completed, according to the USGBC.

While there is dispute over exactly how much LEED certification increases a building's costs, it is unanimously understood that following the USGBC's third-party review system increases a project's cost. The registration fee for a project, according to the USGBC's Web site, is $450 for USGBC members and $600 for nonmembers.