The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced its annual top 10 states for LEED.
Illinois topped the list with 3.43 per-capita certified gross square footage per resident (GSF). The state has more than 43 million GSF and 161 total LEED projects.
The rest of the top 10 were Maryland (3.06 per captia certified GSF), Massachusetts (3.03), Washington (2.60), Colorado (2.43), Nevada (2.42), California (2.34), Texas (2.09), Virginia (1.63), and Utah (1.63).
The rankings is in its sixth year, and Illinois has been in the No. 1 spot for three years.
The list takes into account states that made improvements in sustainable building design, construction, and transformation.
"Green construction is quickly outpacing conventional construction in the U.S.," Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and Founding Chair of USGBC, said in a statement. "LEED has become an essential tool for the transformation of building design and construction. By recognizing these states excelling in the use of LEED, we are celebrating the green building professionals, architects, business, policy and community leaders who work tirelessly to design and develop innovative solutions toward a healthier, more sustainable future. LEED construction drives economic growth, creates jobs and makes communities greener."
