Explaining LEED Concentration: Effects of Public Policy and Political Party

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that influence the spatial concentration of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings in the United States. We examine the effects of green building standards at the state level and compare these to the effects of financial incentives supported by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 on the concentration of LEED certified buildings. We find that political party has a significant effect on LEED concentration as well as economic growth rates. Federal level economic incentives seem to dominate state level requirements for more sustainable buildings that encourage new LEED certification efforts.